The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have made their decision and Mitch Trubisky is set to be the starter at QB for Sunday’s tough Week 1 showdown vs the Bengals in Cincinnati.
Mike Tomlin went multiple routes in a bid to fill the massive gap at QB after the retirement of two-time Super Bowl champ Ben Roethlisberger following the 2021 season.
Replacing ‘Big Ben’
First off the Steelers signed free agent Trubisky to a two-year deal after his spell as backup to Josh Allen in Buffalo ended.
Then in April Pittsburgh followed up by using a first-round draft pick to select Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. He was the only QB from an underwhelming 2022 class to go in Round 1.
While Pickett has been impressive in preseason play, it appears Tomlin (our pick for NFL Coach of the Year btw) has gone for experience for Sunday’s tough opener at last year’s AFC champion Cincinnati (1pm Eastern, CBS). They will start a 6.5-point underdog in one of Week 1’s most lopsided betting lines.
The Steelers had major offensive line issues in 2021, leaving Roethlisberger to get the ball out of his hands as fast as humanly possible, and promising RB Najee Harris to run into brick walls often.
Tomlin and Pittsburgh seemed to spend most of preseason looking to get Pickett to ensure a quick release too, and he did a pretty good job. But regular season, with the lights on, is a very different beast.
Trubisky decision made?
Now the Steelers have named Trubisky at QB1 on their depth chart for 2022, apparently confirming he will get the start Sunday. He will also serve as a team captain.
Trubisky was the future at QB for the Chicago Bears when they traded the house to draft him in 2017, but despite flashes of promise his spell in Chi-Town soured. Chicago failed to pick up his fifth-year option and he rode the pine in Buffalo during the 2021 season.
Now he’s back, but the jury is very much out on whether this is the right move by Tomlin. We’ll find out Sunday.