For the rest of the preseason, we’ll give a recap, position-by-position, player-by-player of what I saw during the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and preseason games. This list is based off the 16 public camp practices and the preseason games I’ve watched up until this point and is based solely off their performance then and does not necessarily represent my feelings for the players overall or during the regular season.
A heads up, I intend on using the full grading scale through these reports. Not just giving players A’s to C’s. It may sound harsh but it’s as honest and fair as I can be.
With that in mind, let’s start with the quarterbacks.
Kenny Pickett
Pickett entered his second training camp with the team in a completely different place as he did last season. No longer was he the wide-eyed rookie trying to climb the depth chart. He entered camp with the Steelers being his team, not someone else’s. And he acted accordingly. He was confident, poised, and looked comfortable out there. Gone were the days of him being Checkdown Charlie, scared to throw the ball past five yards as he was his first week of camp in 2022.
Pickett pushed the ball downfield early and often with his YPC (1.3 yards) and YPA (3.2 yards) better than a year ago. While his completion percentage expectedly fell because of his more aggressive nature, he still took great care of the football, throwing only one interception throughout camp. Judging things like pocket presence is tough to do in this environment where quarterbacks know they can’t get hit but his ability to go through his progressions was on display, better than a year ago.
He says his arm strength is better than a year ago. For me, it’s hard to tell. There may be more velocity on underneath passes but his deep ball is still average, though he’s supremely accurate and confident on backshoulder throws of 20-25 yards. Some of his short/intermediate accuracy and ball placement still needs some work, especially in the flats and to the sideline. While George Pickens grabbed most of the headlines, Pickett’s chemistry with Diontae Johnson was especially strong. Those two rarely missed.
Starting with the Friday Night Lights practice, he really turned things on and had his best performances of camp from there on out. And in the preseason opener, he was excellent, marching the Steelers down the field with good throws to all levels of the field. It would be a stretch to say his camp this year looked substantially better than how he ended his 2022 regular season campaign but overall, it was a good three week’s of work that shouldn’t have anyone feeling less confident in him entering Week One.
Grade: A-
Mitch Trubisky
Trubisky ran with the 2’s and saw plenty of work, nearly the same amount of snaps as Pickett. That’s common with the immediate backup, who gets the nod with the final three snaps of seven shots and gets two-minute drill work. His overall stats look strong, improving his completion percentage from his first camp last year, going from under 60-percent last year to 65.5-percent in 2023. He led all quarterbacks with 27 touchdowns. On the negative end, he also threw four interceptions.
Overall, his play was steady and not too high or low, though there were days where the offense as a whole struggled. Trubisky shows nice touch down the seam and a willingness to push the ball. There is no glaring negative in his game, though he can occasionally get tunnel vision and make a poor decision.
He’s a solid No. 2 quarterback, though it’s ideal if he only has to play for short bursts, not long stretches.
Grade: B-
Mason Rudolph
Rudolph ran as the third-string quarterback throughout camp, where he ended up late last season after beginning came as the No. 2. He struggled more than I expected for a veteran player like him, though in fairness, he’s also working with third-stringers and a lot of rookies and inexperienced players. His five interceptions led the team, but they might not have all been his fault. Still, there were some forced throws and missed reads, like trying to fit a slant over the middle that was thrown right at Kenny Robinson, who picked him off. Rudolph also had a habit of throwing contested curls underneath to WR Hakeem Butler. Maybe he was trying to let Butler use his frame and make a play but he threw incomplete on heavily contested plays at least three times in camp.
Rudolph’s best asset is his arm. He throws a pretty deep ball with strength and accuracy along the sideline. That was on display against Tampa Bay, throwing a gorgeous pass on the money downfield to Calvin Austin III for a 67-yard score. Just like his Big 12 days airing it out at Oklahoma State, Rudolph can fire it downfield.
While his camp wasn’t as strong as I thought, it doesn’t change his status with the team. He’s the No. 3 quarterback and almost nothing he could’ve done this camp – good or bad – was going to change that. Rudolph is one of the better, maybe the best, third-string quarterbacks in football and getting his experience dirt cheap is a win for the Steelers.
Camp Grade: C
Tanner Morgan
Pittsburgh made an effort to get him reps, something they didn’t do with 7th rounder Chris Oladokun a year ago. That was partly because of the team’s increased comfort in the QB room, willing to give Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph one day off from team period apiece that allowed Morgan to handle a couple of reps.
To his credit, Morgan looked fearless in practice and willing to take shots downfield, even if they were ill-advised. It led to one near-interception by DB Chris Wilcox and one actual pick by S Kenny Robinson, a Morgan pass attempted into triple-coverage.
The Steelers thrust him into playing in the season opener. Despite only 20-something reps in team period and no practice work except for maybe a bit in the closed Thursday walkthrough, Morgan predictably struggled in his NFL debut, muffing an exchange, throwing a pick, and taking a sack. Playing him late in the game, the final drive, would’ve been fine, but Pittsburgh put too much on his plate. For a rookie, you shouldn’t get more stadium reps than what you had in practice.
Entering camp, his odds of making the 53 were slim. And nothing happened this camp that closed that ocean-wide gap. Morgan’s time with the team will end on August 31, cutdown day.
Camp Grade: D
