After practice Monday, Cam Heyward spoke to the media in the locker room and was asked about the honor of being named a team captain for the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with his thoughts on the captaincy of T.J. Watt and Najee Harris.
QB Mitch Trubisky was also named an offensive captain along with Harris, pointing to him most likely being the starting QB Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. When asked about what leadership qualities Trubisky has shown in his short time in Pittsburgh, Heyward didn’t hold back praise for Trubisky and his accomplishments thus far.
“I just think he’s a guy people rally around,” Heyward said about Trubisky via video on Steelers.com. “He’s all about team. He’s very bought in. He understands, Coach T says it, he’s carrying our hopes and dreams on every single play. And I think he’s just got more and more comfortable, and guys are excited to play for him.”
Mitch Trubisky has been the consummate teammate since arriving in Pittsburgh, having invited all the QBs and skill position players to his Florida home to run routes during the summer as well as offering to mentor rookie QB Kenny Pickett in his transition from college to the pros. He hasn’t complained when protection broke down in preseason play, taking ownership for the offense, being a guy that his teammates respect and want to play well for.
“I think he’s came in with the right mindset just trying to get better,” Heyward continued on Trubisky. “All three quarterbacks have just been great if I’m being honest, but Mitch is the guy we’re riding with and he’s allowed us to have a lot of trust in him.”
After being named a team captain and with the official depth chart releasing for Week 1, Trubisky has been named the starting QB for Pittsburgh. That title carries a heavy burden, but also a lot of respect and backing from members of the team like Cam Heyward. Trubisky will face his first test to prove he is deserving of that trust come Sunday when the Steelers face off against their division rivals to kick off the 2022 regular season.
