The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Quarterbacks Coach Mike Sullivan in February of last year. He has work cut out for him with manning a very young quarterback room. Everyone around the league knows the Steelers have a tough competition underway, currently in the early phases, to see who will be starting under center come Week 1. Sullivan sat down with Steelers’ reporter Missi Matthews to discuss the competition that’s taking place.
Steelers.com
Steelers QB pecking order
Matthews asked Sullivan when we might be able to see an actual pecking order with the quarterbacks.
"I mean training camp and as you get into the preseason games, that's really where some of those decisions are going to be made. We don't know who our quarterback is going to be when we open up against Cincinnati, but that's really going to be the time for them to showcase their talents to see. Right now, in OTAs, it's about the what phase, you know, what do we do and then recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of the various receivers and backs and protection schemes, all that fun stuff. And then, as we get into training camp and it's more 11 on 11 and the competition in the preseason games, you know, their ability to understand the why and the how combined with their talent will enable the cream to rise to the top."
Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback, Mitch Trubisky (#10) participates in Organized Team Activities (OTAs) Wednesday June 1, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers)
"Can you give me one strength of each guy that's jumping out to you during this phase?" Matthews asked.
"Yeah, I think the thing with Mitch [Trubisky] is he's really shown his play action pass game. I mean, he's got very rhythmic footwork, he gets the ball out fast and you know we want to be able to be a team that is balanced and could run the ball, but also be able if you're going to do that you have to have the play action pass off of that. So, that's stood out amongst other things. As far as Mason [Rudolph], he's really done a nice job in terms of picking up the quickness of his release. You know, that's mechanical, but it's also processing and so those are things that even the other coaches are noticing how much quicker the ball comes out. With Kenny [Pickett], I think you know his mobility. Even though, certainly we're not showcasing a lot of that out here, but he has great accuracy on the move, which some guys get a little bit off balance and it's hard to complete those passes. And in terms of Chris [Oladokun], I think he may have had some of the limited opportunities, but he's making the most of them. He has very good ball location accuracy and lots of times he puts it in a position where the runner can maximize his yards after catch. So, I think those are just a couple things, a thing or two on each guy; it's really an exciting time of year for us."
Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) participates in Organized Team Activities (OTAs) Thursday June 2, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
Matthews asked Sullivan to name one thing that he's telling the quarterbacks that he wants to see coming back from their break and then going into training camp.
"Well, I think as with that break, it's a time certainly to recharge and spend time with their families and friends, but also make sure they're studying. Make sure they're going through and remembering the lessons, the foundation that we laid here and then putting the time in. You know, they've got to make sure they're getting their throws in and [be] ready to go once we hit training camp because they'll be going 90 miles an hour. So, I think it's just trying to have that perspective to recharge, but also prepare, and then also make sure that they realize what the goals are, you know. The standards are high here and it's one standard and that's just to win a Super Bowl, so all of them are vying to be that guy, we want that and hopefully they keep that in mind."
Steelers.com
Check out the interview in its entirety here!
What do yinz think about Sullivan’s comments about the QB competition? Let us know in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!
#SteelerNation
