The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally made up their mind when it comes to their season opening quarterback. Mitchell Trubisky has been listed at the top of the Steelers unofficial depth chart that was released on Monday. This means that he all but locked in to appear as the starting signal caller for Pittsburgh in their opening game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Trubisky will have some major shoes to fill, as this is the first time that Ben Roethlisberger isn’t on the roster in years. He has not only been awarded with the starting gig for them, but he’s also been awarded with team captain honors already.
Trubisky Put On A Show
Arguably the reason for Trubisky getting named the starter is that he was signed on to be their top guy in the offseason. This was far before they had drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round of the NFL Draft. Which was something they likely didn’t expect to happen until he fell into their laps. Trubisky took over the first team in the final preseason game though. He completed 15 out of his 19 total passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. He led four different scoring drives on six possessions total against the Detroit Lions.
Mason Rudolph
According to the depth chart, Mason Rudolph won the number two spot on the roster. The team had him listed as the third string quarterback throughout the entire preseason. Though it appears his experience has awarded him the backup duties, for now. Rudolph is 5-4-1 overall in his career as a starting quarterback in three seasons with Pittsburgh. Periodically filling in for Roethlisberger whenever he suffered an injury. It has looked like he was the odd man out in the quarterback room all offseason.
Kenny Pickett
Then finally, we come to Pickett on the chart at number three. We all know how rookie quarterback situations go. The fan base rolls with the veteran option as the starter until he starts to dip in production. Once the team starts to lose games and the offense grounds out, that community starts clamoring for the rookie to be given an opportunity. Pickett is likely going to get that shot at some point in the year, so he’ll certainly move up the charts sooner rather than later.
Another interesting aspect of this quarterback situation is a potential trade involving Mason Rudolph. There have been rumors floating around pretty often during the offseason that the team was shopping Rudolph. Nothing was ever set in stone up to this point, but if Pickett rises the charts and Trubisky proves to be a capable starter, Rudolph could be out of there.
Especially if they are able to get some solid return for their fourth-year quarterback. I personally believe that Trubisky will hold on for the first half of the season as the signal caller for the Steelers. However, Pickett will have his time to start. And is going to be out there down the stretch of the year, especially if the team isn’t performing well.