Mike Tomlin may prefer to build some mystery and manufacture a little suspense with his quarterback decision this week, but it would be absolutely stunning if veteran Mitch Trubisky is not benched for first-round pick Kenny Pickett after the rookie made his debut in relief on Sunday during another ugly Steelers loss.
It’s time for Kenny Pickett to take over at quarterback in Pittsburgh
Tomlin has been one of Trubisky’s staunchest advocates within the organization, and he embraced the idea that a battle-hardened journeyman — who was beloved in the locker room — might do just enough to steward Pittsburgh’s limited offense, with a proven defense leading the way. But through roughly a quarter of the season, Trubisky has been unable to muster anything, Pittsburgh’s offense has been brutal and Tomlin had finally seen enough by halftime of what became a 24-20 defeat to the Jets that dropped the Steelers to 1-3. Pittsburgh is tied for last in the NFL with two passing touchdowns, has allowed eight sacks, and of all qualified NFL quarterbacks, only Bears beleaguered youngster Justin Fields has a lower QB rating than Trubisky’s (73.7).
“We did what we needed to do to put ourselves in position to win this game,” Tomlin said of the quarterback change in his postgame remarks. “And we’ll do it again.”
Tomlin isn’t one to make proclamations in public, or ruminate on a decision like this with too many people. He’ll decide who needs to know exactly who his QB is whenever he wants to, but his staff is already operating as if the youngster gets the gig moving forward. The Steelers, after all, are reeling after three straight losses and in need of a spark before this season gets away from them in a way no season in Pittsburgh has for quite some time.
“I don’t see how you can go back to Trubisky now,” said one member of the Steelers staff who is not permitted to speak about personnel decisions.
If the change is inevitable — and, again it would send shock waves through that organization if it is not — what is a reasonable expectation for Pickett in what would be his first NFL start next week, and at Buffalo of all places.
“Bring some energy and try to push the ball downfield,” the individual said.
Pickett did both on Sunday, under duress, even in a losing cause. The box score shows three interceptions. but the reality is he threw one quickly after making his debut, hardly uncommon in such situations. On another, receiver Chase Claypool could have done more to help the kid passer, while the third was a Hail Mary in desperation time. Pickett did help the run game get going and scored two touchdowns on the ground on a day in which Trubisky’s drives went nowhere.
Tomlin, yet to endure a losing season during his long tenure in Pittsburgh, hasn’t had to deal with breaking in a green passer like this before; it’s one of few coaching challenges he’s yet to navigate. Ben Roethlisberger was already an ascending quarterback — with a Super Bowl win — when Tomlin took over for Bill Cowher in 2007, and he’s not wired to consider much this time of year beyond the next week’s opponent. Getting his mind around the fact that this franchise is in fact rebuilding, or retooling, after an unbelievably long Super Bowl window with Big Ben is a grueling mental calculus for this coach. But it’s never been clearer that the Steelers are very much in transition, and the more developmental gains Pickett makes this season, the better he should fare in Year 2.
There is hope in that organization that T.J. Watt, the reigning defensive player of the year, could be back in two weeks to face Tampa — the Steelers have never won with him injured — and I’m told he continues to push to return as soon as possible. Second-year running back Najee Harris suffered a Lisfranc injury this summer that was more impactful than may have been let on at the time, and if Pickett is able to get the ball downfield more, maybe the run game will pick up a tick or two. Don’t be shocked, either, if the Steelers end up moving Trubisky before the trade deadline, now just a month away, with inevitable QB injuries mounting around the league and this team open to stockpiling more draft capital.
Regardless, this is wholly unfamiliar territory for Tomlin, who is now facing a decision in October he’d have loved to put off until 2023. And there appears to be but one way to go.
Source: WP
