The NFL’s social media pages were abuzz over the weekend after they saw Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens impress in the team’s first preseason game.
But on Tuesday morning, it was Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett on the cover of NFL.com.
The headline: “Did Kenny Pickett impress enough to pass Mitch Trubisky?”
NFL Networks’ Michael Robinson said Pickett didn’t play well enough to start the next preseason game or the first regular season game, but “In the words, you know Rocky’s wife back in the ‘Rocky’ movies ‘Mitchell Trusbisky…you can’t win!’”
When you see the way Kenny Pickett played, when you see the energy that this team and this stadium had when he came into the building, yes, I thought Mitchell Trubisky did a great job functioning the offense, handling the offense. . . but when you draft a guy in the first round, when the guy also played college in that city and the city just erupts when the guy comes into the game, I just don’t think Mitch Trubisky’s leash is going to be very long,” added Robinson.
Robinson believed that Trubisky was already on a short least already, but now after Pickett went 13-for-15 for 95 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Trubisky and Mason Rudolph also had a touchdown each with zero interceptions.
Robinson says if Trubisky and Pickett each play to their potential, the Steelers would have to go with Pickett.
Fellow NFL Network analyst Marc Ross says he also believe it will ultimately be Pickett’s job, but the journey there will take a little longer.
“He’s playing against third-string guys, fourth string guys, guys who will be working at UPS next year . . . the playbook is only about 10 percent there, so there’s a lot more that a starting quarterback, a franchise quarterback has to learn,” said Ross. “It’s later rather than sooner.”
Tomlin has said that if the season were to start today, it would be Trubisky getting the starting job, mainly because of his playing experience in the NFL.