Three different quarterbacks started games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023, making for a rather challenging season overall for the Black and Gold.
Despite those challenges, the Steelers found a way to go 10-7 and reach the AFC Wild Card round. Though the Steelers’ season came to an abrupt halt, there were some positives to take away from the 2023 season. Unfortunately, two of the three quarterbacks who started games for the Steelers aren’t part of those positives moving forward, which has the quarterback position under intense scrutiny this offseason.
Now that the season is behind us, it’s a time for reflection and analysis, and that starts with my Steelers’ positional grades season review. Today, we’ll kick things off with the quarterbacks, taking an individual look at all three quarterbacks who started games for the Steelers this season. That being Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph.
Kenny Pickett: Grade — D+
Stats: 12 games (12 starts), 201-for-324 (62%), 2,070 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs, 23 sacks, two fumbles
Entering the 2023 season, expectations were sky-high for Pickett in his second season. It was supposed to be a year of substantial growth as he was entering his second season under coordinator Matt Canada. He had a promising rookie season that saw him close the season strong and had another offseason under his belt with his pass-catching weapons.
Pickett came up well short of those expectations. He struggled with accuracy right out of the gate, rarely pushed the ball down the field in the passing game, and was a mess from a pocket presence standpoint, bailing from clean pockets or running right into pressure. The pocket presence was arguably the biggest issue for Pickett as he had no faith in the pass protection and found himself looking at the rush far too often, taking his eyes away from the routes downfield, which really hindered the passing attack.
When he did have time and hang in the pocket, he wasn’t on the same page with receivers, particularly Diontae Johnson, and really lacked any sort of dynamism in the passing game, which put a cap on what the Steelers could do offensively. Of course, some of that could be attributed to former offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Once Canada was fired, Pickett had a great six quarters before getting hurt. But it was quite telling that the Steelers didn’t go back to Pickett once he was healthy.
Overall, it was quite simply a very disappointing season for Pickett. Yes, he had some late-game magic again, but a team cannot rely on that week-in, week-out. Pickett didn’t elevate his game, period, and took a significant step back in key areas such as accuracy and pocket presence. Now, he’ll be entering a pivotal third season.
Mitch Trubisky: Grade — F
Stats: 5 games (2 starts), 67-for-107 (62.6%), 632 yards, 4 TDs, 5 INTS, seven sacks, one fumble
Full transparency: I was never a believer in Trubisky, even when the Steelers signed him ahead of the 2022 season to be a potential bridge starter. Though I did like the extension to keep him locked up long-term as a backup to Pickett, Trubisky was the type of quarterback that teams should be worried about going onto the field, in a negative way.
That bore itself out this season. In five games (two starts), Trubisky was a nightmare. He was far too reckless with the football, taking way too many chances down the field. Those chances backfired as Trubisky turned the ball over in big spots, like trailing by one score against the Jaguars in Week Eight with a chance to drive and tie the game or like late in the fourth quarter against the Colts in Week 15.
With Trubisky in the lineup as a starter, the Steelers scored just 28 total points. Even when he came on in relief of Pickett in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Trubisky couldn’t do much offensively until the game was well out of reach.
The rough season will likely see Trubisky’s time in Pittsburgh come to an end, as the Steelers will likely try and save some money under the salary cap, cutting loose the veteran who fell all the way to QB3 late in the season.
Mason Rudolph: Grade — B-
Stats: 5 games (4 starts, including playoffs), 77-for-113 (68.2%), 948 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, seven sacks, two fumbles
Entering the season, it was rather unfathomable that Mason Rudolph would ever see any time for the Steelers under center. If he did, something would have had to go drastically wrong. Well, something went drastically wrong. To Rudolph’s credit, despite being QB3 for the majority of the last two seasons, he was more than prepared for his moment, seizing upon the opportunity and running with it.
Rudolph gave the Steelers’ offense a serious spark. Once he stepped into the lineup, the deep ball became a key part of the passing attack, and the execution was much better overall. Rudolph helped lead the Steelers’ offense to two games of 30 or more points scored, something the Steelers hadn’t done since Week 11 of the 2022 season.
As the passing game opened up downfield, it helped the run game really take off. There was real, tangible balance offensively for the Steelers and a clear belief in the veteran quarterback calling the shots. Even in the playoff loss, when things weren’t going the Steelers’ way, Rudolph kept slinging the rock and helped bring the Steelers back to within a score in the second half. It wasn’t enough, though, and now he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent again.
Steelers’ players and head coach Mike Tomlin want him back and will potentially give him a chance to start. His teammates believe in him, and it now feels like his coaches certainly believe in him as well. What a come-up for Rudolph. Hopefully he’s back next season and has a real chance at taking the starting job in training camp. The end of the season certainly wasn’t a fluke.
