The Steelers’ newest scout has some thoughts on the quarterback situation.
Pittsburgh’s quarterback battle has been everything it was billed to be, with free-agent signing Mitchell Trubisky playing well and having an inside track on the job. Kenny Pickett has delivered when he's gotten opportunities, and while it might be Trubisky's job to lose, Pickett has made the decision difficult.
For a while, it seemed like the path would be letting Trubisky take the keys to the offense with Pickett getting the chance to watch and learn his rookie season. But the first-round pick has been so polished in camp and preseason action that the Steelers would hardly be foolish to start him over Trubisky Week 1.
Whether they go that route remains to be seen. Appearing on the “Pat McAfee Show”, longtime Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, recently named a team scout, said his choice would be Pickett.
"All of this is off of my opinion: I would roll with Kenny Pickett. I think Kenny PIckett is ready right now," Taylor said. "Sometimes you’ve just got to do things outside the box. A couple years I would’ve said there was nothing wrong with sitting Kenny Pickett and establishing Mitch Trubisky and letting him doing what he needs to do, you could call Trubisky a bridge. But just all the effort and all the boxes Kenny Pickett has checked off, there is no need not to not start the young man, my personal opinion."
Obviously, there is some risk in trotting out a rookie quarterback Week 1. The worst thing for Pickett and the Steelers would be for him to start right away, get picked apart out of the gate and have his confidence tank.
Of course, there’s also the possibility that he proves he truly is NFL-ready, and things go swimmingly. Based on his preseason performance, that's plausible.
All of it is up in the air, but both quarterbacks are running out of time to make their respective cases for the gig. Suffice it to say thus far both have made compelling arguments for themselves.
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