Who will be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback next week? Mike Tomlin doesn’t know.
Most will say it doesn’t matter.
With QB Kenny Pickett’s timetable to return unclear, Mitch Trubisky’s misery continuing, and the team’s overall hesitancy to play Mason Rudolph, it’s unclear who will start Week 16’s game next Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaking with reporters after the team’s 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Tomlin was asked who will start next weekend.
“I don’t have answers as I sit here right now,” Tomlin said via the Steelers.com website. “I know that we better do some things differently. We better approach some things differently. We’re not gonna roll that ball out there like that next week.”
Tomlin may say they won’t roll the ball out there again, but it’s been three straight weeks of the same results. To the question of who will start, and in fairness to Tomlin, much of it will revolve around Pickett’s health. According to a Sunday afternoon report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Pickett is pushing hard to play against the Bengals next Saturday. But Rapoport also cautioned a Week 17 return at Seattle on New Year’s Eve is his most likely return date.
“My understanding is he’s pushing to play next week,” Rapoport said, later adding: “My understanding is this is expected to be more like in college when he had tightrope surgery and played 26 days later. That would put him on track to play Week 17 against the Seahawks.”
Quickly ruled out each of the last two weeks, odds are against Pickett being cleared to return for the Bengals game even if he is itching to play. But if he’s cleared, he’ll start. If not, Tomlin will decide between Trubisky and Rudolph. It took until the game’s final two minutes before Tomlin finally relented and benched Trubisky for Rudolph. Rudolph wasn’t really given a chance to show anything, completing two passes for 3 yards on three attempts. He was sacked once on the team’s final play of the game.
Considering Trubisky’s at best uneven and at worst terrible play in his two starts since replacing Pickett, it’s hard to see him get the nod a third time. Rudolph will be the favorite to start if Pickett misses another game. It would mark Rudolph’s first start since Week 10 of the 2021 season, an emergency situation where Rudolph got the nod the night before the game after Ben Roethlisberger tested positive for COVID. Rudolph went 30-of-50 that day for 242 yards, one touchdown, and one pick as the Steelers tied the Lions 16-16, in part due to fumbles by WR Diontae Johnson and TE Pat Freiermuth that thwarted chances to win the game.
Prior to that, his last scheduled start where he entered the week as the team’s clear No. 1 with corresponding practice reps came in the 2020 season finale against the Cleveland Browns. In that scenario, the Steelers had wrapped up the AFC North and rested Roethlisberger. Rudolph threw for 315 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick in a 24-22 loss.
Tomlin will speak to the media early this upcoming week, likely on Monday, and could have a decision by then. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati kick off next Saturday at 4:30 PM/EST.
