Mike Tomlin and the rest of Steelers nation are wondering who will be under center in the season opener against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh will bring in four quarterbacks to training camp. However, there are only two quarterbacks with a chance to start.
Mitch Trubisky
A lot of people had the idea that veteran Mitch Trubisky would be the starter. The Steelers signed him to a two-year, $14 million dollar deal. It would be hard to argue with that logic, for the price tag they got Trubisky on coming over from the Buffalo Bills.
The Steelers added Trubisky on the first day of free agency and they’re hoping maybe he has a few good years left and can show why he was a former No. 2 overall pick.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin weighed in on Trubisky “he’s young and experienced he’s probably won more than anybody else that was kind of in the field.”
Trubisky’s advantage over Kenny Pickett will be his veteran experience and the tools to fit the scheme of offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
This will be Trubisky’s third team after four years in Chicago and one year in Buffalo. Steelers are also hoping sitting behind Josh Allen can help Trubisky become a better quarterback. We all saw how Josh Allen flourished this past season. Maybe it will put a chip on the shoulder of Trubisky realizing that he never wants to be in that position again and can earn the starting job.
Kenny Pickett
Then there’s Kenny Pickett who will be playing his home games in the same stadium in the NFL as he did in college. The Steelers spent a first-round pick on Pickett and most NFL draft experts believed Pickett was the most pro ready coming out of the draft. Others thought they may take Malik Willis with the higher upside.
Pickett at the University of Pittsburgh only progressed each year. The quarterback is a fifth-year senior who threw for 42 touchdowns, which is three more than his previous four seasons combined. If that doesn’t show upside and progress each year, I don’t know what does.
Pickett also played 52 total games in his collegiate career where he went 32-20 as a starter. The Steelers rookie in his last season led the Panthers to an 11-2 record and an ACC Championship. The last ACC championship was back in 2010 for the school.
His college head coach Pat Narduzzi believes Pickett has everything to be the starter in week 1. “That’s why the style of offense we run, a pro style, reading coverages, he’s been trained properly.” Coach Narduzzi also mentioned why Pickett is your pro style quarterback. “He’s a drop back passer that dropped back and threw the ball, when it was a ball game, probably 85% of the time.”
Week 1 starter prediction
Kenny Pickett will win the starting quarterback job and will be the week 1 starter on the road against the Bengals. Pickett will beat out Trubisky who has shown over his past what he’s capable of which is a limited ceiling. In today’s NFL there is no more making your first-round rookie quarterback sit out. People want to see the young gunslinger and what the hype is all about. Pickett will show that his college coach Pat Narduzzi was right about him. I think with an outstanding returning defense and head coach. Along with a solid running back and wide receiver core Pickett will prove why he was worth a first-round pick. Coach Tomlin will only put him in a position to succeed.
