Getty Mitch Trubisky warms up before a Buffalo Bills game.
Mitch Trubisky’s grasp on the starting job in Pittsburgh could be loosening.
The former Buffalo Bills quarterback is the stated starter as the Pittsburgh Steelers opened training camp on Wednesday, July 27, but he drew jeers from fans as he struggled on throws during practice. Trubisky is looking for a career reset after losing his starting job with the Chicago Bears and then spending a season as Josh Allen’s backup in Buffalo, but he could soon face a challenge for his position in Pittsburgh.
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Fans Upset at Trubisky
It was a rough start for Trubisky at Pittsburgh’s July 27 practice because he threw incompletions during his first two reps with the first-team offense and then threw an interception on the third. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor tweeted that the performance led to an immediate call for rookie Kenny Pickett, who has been behind Trubisky on the depth chart.
Mitch Trubisky takes the first two first-team reps and has two incompletions. A fan yells: “get Pickett in there!”
And so it begins.
The rough start aside, Trubisky has been working hard to secure his spot atop the depth chart in Pittsburgh. In April, he invited the team’s pass catchers and other quarterbacks to work out at his home in South Florida. He said he felt that he was getting a “good grasp” of the offense.
The 27-year-old quarterback didn’t seem too stressed about his rough start at training camp, noting that coach Mike Tomlin told the quarterbacks to “go out there and play free.”
“That’s just part of the territory when it comes to a quarterback,” Trubisky said of his rough throws, via TribLive.com. “You’re not holding your head on every single throw anyway. You’ve got to let it go and just play. When you’re not thinking about it, that’s when you’re playing your best anyway.”
Trubisky looked better as the practice went on, finding rookie receiver George Pickens on one deep throw.
Trubisky said the year he spent with the Bills was helpful for his career and his mindset.
“It was a good reset year,” Trubisky said. “I learned a lot in Buffalo, and I think I’m going to take those experiences and pour them into this year. It was a good reset for me mentally. It helps me gain a lot of confidence and that I’m able to go out there and be a starter again.”
Trubisky Still in the Driver’s Seat
Insiders still believe that Trubisky will be the starter when the Steelers open their season on September 11, and Trubisky said he believed the depth chart would remain the same as it was through minicamp and OTAs.
“As far as I know, it’s going to stay similar to what it was,” Trubisky said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I just take it one day at a time. If I be me and I continue to lead this team and get better each day, then everything will work out.”
There may not be anything through training camp or the preseason that changes the order of the depth chart. The NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported July 27 that Trubisky has a “sizable lead” over Pickett.
Mitch Trubisky knows he’s in a QB competition, but won’t refuse helping rookie Kenny Pickett. #Steelers @937theFan
But some believe that Trubisky won’t be able to hold off Pickett forever. Robert Zeglinski of USA Today’s BET FTW speculated on July 27 that the Steelers won’t give too much slack to Trubisky if he struggles as he did in Chicago.
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Former Bills QB Draws Strong Fan Reaction Early in Training Camp