Early word coming out of Pittsburgh Steelers' OTA’s from Josh Rowntree is that Mitch Trubisky has looked like the number 1 quarterback for the black and gold. Rowntree shared his views on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday per Andrew Filliponi on Twitter.
.@JRown32 on @937theFan on Najee Harris at OTAs: "I am floored by how much more athletic he looks this year. He's gotten bigger. He's got a Derrick Henry, Adrian Peterson look about him."
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) May 26, 2022
Sweet sassy molassy
Rowntree also shared that Kenny Pickett is likely going to pass Mason Rudolph on the depth chart and expects him to be getting the backup quarterback snaps by mandatory minicamp.
These are very early reactions, but this is good news for the Steelers. If Trubisky starts and leads a playoff run for the Steelers, it gives them tremendous flexibility based on his team-friendly contract. The Steelers will get a long look at Pickett as the backup quarterback and if he is the heir apparent, he can only benefit from learning from Trubisky who has faced significant adversity in his NFL career.
The Steelers would be in a great position to market Trubisky who would still have one year left on his deal to quarterback-hungry teams for a high draft pick or a significant upgrade at a position of need. If Trubisky plays out of this world in Matt Canada’s system and proves he is the quarterback to replace Ben Roethlisberger long-term this season, they have him under contract for 2023 and could franchise tag him if necessary, while Pickett waits ala Aaron Rodgers for his opportunity. They could potentially lose some trade leverage if he starts in 2023, but a short-term extension for a season or two could remedy that situation.
This clearly spells doom for Rudolph, and he will need to make a significant impact quickly to resurrect his career. A first-round rookie passing you on the depth chart is not a death knell, but a quarterback that many consider to be coming off the scrap heap above you as well, could mean that Chris Oladokun could be holding a clipboard in 2022. The Steelers should explore trades for Rudolph, who at the very least, seems to be a competent backup. And despite Myles Garrett’s best efforts to deride him, a good teammate.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Second chances for high draft pick quarterbacks used to be extremely hard to get, but if Trubisky plays well and Jameis Winston returns to pre-injury form, it may become a new trend in today’s NFL. Sam Darnold seems to have wasted his second chance in Carolina, but if Marcus Mariotta has some success in Atlanta, maybe an alternate formula to become a playoff team and Super Bowl contender will emerge. Right now, teams who have quarterbacks on rookie contracts are considered the best chance for a team to make a Super Bowl run, however, if Winston and Trubisky lead the New Orleans Saints and Steelers to the playoffs respectively, a new pattern may emerge.
The NFL is a win now league and if your rookie QB is not the guy, teams can move on quickly to find the next signal-caller with very little downside. The last quarterback to sit at the beginning of his career who sat for a significant period of time before getting a crack at the starting lineup, was Aaron Rodgers 14 years ago. It was only because he was behind a Hall of Famer in Brett Favre. The trend to play newcomers right away has become the norm in the NFL. It would be nice to see some of these guys whose only issues are they are thrown into the fire too soon with bad teams get second chances.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you glad to hear Trubisky is doing well, or do you just want to see the rookie hit the field? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
