The Steelers are now back at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, facing down a long regular season that looks a lot more promising given how things have gone leading up to it. Finishing just above .500 last year, they anticipate being able to compete with any team in the league this season with second-year QB Kenny Pickett leading the way.
They’ve done a great deal to address what they identified as their shortcomings during the offseason, which included addressing the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary and the inside linebacker room, which is nearly entirely different from last year. The results have been positive so far.
Even well into the regular season and beyond, there are going to be plenty of questions that need answered. When will the core rookies get to play, or even start? Is the depth sufficient where they upgraded? Can they stand toe-to-toe with the Bengals and the other top teams in the league? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout the season, as we have for many years.
Question: Would Mitch Trubisky or Mason Rudolph be the better option or the Steelers to start if Kenny Pickett can’t play on Thursday?
While head coach Mike Tomlin said that the team would be leaving the door “ajar” for QB Kenny Pickett to play on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, there’s a more than fair chance he will have to sit the game out.
We can already safely say that Mitch Trubisky will start at quarterback if Pickett is not available. But is that the decision that the Steelers should be making? Is it what would give the team the best chance to win the game?
Frankly, I’m only posing this question because it’s a topic of discussion within the fan base, and from that perspective alone it’s worth acknowledging. There are many fans who believe Mason Rudolph is a better backup than Trubisky—some of them even think he should be the starter.
So now is the time for Rudolph’s Reindeer to show themselves. Are you still on the beat? After all, Trubisky continues to supply the fuel. Ever since he lost the starting job, he began to play a looser style of ball that has led him to make some costly mistakes.
With that being said, while he’s had some bad interceptions coming off the bench, he did play better when he actually prepared as a starter. But the sample size is too small to say whether that distinction is meaningful.
What we can say about Rudolph is that he is amply versed in the system and will be able to play within it and run the Steelers’ offense without missing a beat. In reality, nobody should understand it better than he does. And he’s capable of working through his progressions and making the throws.
We all know that Rudolph isn’t going to be given the chance to start. But how many of us believe that he should—that it would be the best thing for the team if Pickett is out?
