Man, this time of year is great isn't it?
Even more so when the Steelers are finally back in Latrobe at Saint Vincent for training camp (where they belong) and are firing up a quarterback "battle."
I put the word "battle" in quotes because I'm not convinced this is actually a battle for who ultimately starts. I'll continue to consume every report, tweet and comment made from camp that tracks stats for these guys, but you and I both know who the starting QB will be in Week 1 barring freak injury.
It's going to be Mitch Trubisky. Cam Heyward said it without explicitly saying it on his "Not Just Football" podcast by saying, "it starts with Mitch." The Steelers gave Trubisky the first team reps in minicamp and OTA's in the spring. Through the first practice in Latrobe, he's held those responsibilities.
So, who wins the "battle" to begin the season isn't even what is most intriguing to me.
Nope. For me it's this…when does the switch happen? And how?
As I said, the Steelers seem dead set on giving Trubisky his chance. So what will it ultimately take to usurp him as the starter? And maybe a better question…does the switch EVER happen this year?
Mitch will start, but as Super Bowl winning head coach Brian Billick said on the Cook and Joe Show this week, you don't draft Kenny Pickett at 20th overall unless you think he's your guy for the future.
I obviously agree. So with that in mind, can you really afford to redshirt him a full season and let Trubisky reign for a year? Pickett was touted as the most "pro ready" QB in this admittedly mediocre draft class. He's already in his age 24 season. Having a guy sit for a full season seems like a crazy notion nowadays, although San Francisco did that with Trey Lance last year.
Of course, we're only having that discussion if Trubisky is doing well and is winning games. And it's a much easier decision to go with Pickett if Mitch stinks, obviously.
But what's maybe most intriguing is the in-between. And it could absolutely happen, given the way Trubisky's career has gone to this point.
Let's say he's statistically a slightly above average QB and the Steelers are something like 4-4 or even 3-5 through the first 8 games before the bye week. Maybe he's got 10 TD's to 6 or 7 INT's.
Does Mike Tomlin stick with him? Or does he go to Kenny to see if he can get more from the position and from the team?
In the little that we've seen from Tomlin in having to juggle QB's, he gave Mason Rudolph the hook for one Duck Hodges in 2019 midway through a middling performance in Cincinnati in Week 12. This was a week after almost having his head cracked open by a swing helmet from Myles Garrett, all while throwing 4 INT's in that game.
Would that same hook apply to Trubisky if he couples bad performances like that? Let's not forget…Tomlin said "we got our guy" when they drafted Pickett.
THAT'S what I can't wait to see unfold. It's a situation that Tomlin really hasn't had to deal with in his career. It's a little different when it's a possible franchise QB waiting in the wings, not a Duck.
For now, we wait. We analyze. We speculate. We enjoy camp and every single throw these guys make in the preseason.
And apparently, according to QB depth charts to this point, Kenny has to focus on jumping Mason Rudolph for #2 (!!!) on the depth chart first.
