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It’s still not official, but one insider believes that Mitch Trubisky is sitting pretty in Pittsburgh after earning the starting job.
The former Buffalo Bills quarterback battled with rookie Kenny Pickett for the starting job, and though head coach Mike Tomlin has yet to announce his Week 1 starter, insiders believe that Trubisky has earned the job. Though there has been some speculation as to when Pickett could ultimately take over, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac believes that Trubisky has a strong hold on the job — at least for the immediate future.
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Trubisky in a Good Spot
Though many expect the Steelers have a long-term plan to groom Pickett into the starting quarterback, Dulac believes that the change won’t come anytime soon. In a chat with fans, he noted that Tomlin isn’t one to make rash decisions or rush rookies into big roles before they’re ready.
“He won’t be quick at all [making a change],” Dulac wrote. “He doesn’t believe in a short leash, unless it is absolutely necessary.”
Another fan asked if the team’s shaky offensive line was a motivating factor in picking the veteran Trubisky, but Dulac believes Tomlin just feels more comfortable with Trubisky at this point.
“Has nothing to do with it. I don’t think they want to throw him to the wolves right away,” he wrote. “Give Trubisky a chance, OK?”
After leaving the Chicago Bears, Trubisky spent one season in Buffalo behind Josh Allen. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said last year that the team was able to convince Trubisky to sign at a discount compared to what other teams were offering by selling him on the idea of working with the coaching staff that helped turn Allen into a star. Trubisky saw limited playing time behind Allen, who stayed healthy all season, but looked impressive in his limited appearances. He completed 75 percent of his passes and added a rushing touchdown.
Tomlin Not Announcing Decision
Trubisky is still waiting for the official call that he will be starting in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tomlin said last week that he’s not going to rush into naming an official starter, even though Trubisky took the bulk of first-team snaps and looked impressive in the preseason. He finished the preseason 24-of-34 for 283 with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
“I might, but you guys are not gonna have it today,” Tomlin said on August 29, via Pro Football Talk. “Again, like I told you guys the other week, man, we’re not gonna make knee-jerk reactions or statements following a performance. We’ll go through our proper professional procedure. We’ll evaluate the game. We’ll meet with our front-office people. We’ll have discussions. We’ll talk internally. We’ll talk external possibilities. We’ll go through our normal procedure this time of year. And we’ll disclose it to you at our leisure, to be quite honest with you.”
Trubisky has remained diplomatic throughout the position battle, saying back in August that he was just happy to get a chance to start again in the NFL.
“It means a lot,” Trubisky told CBS Sports HQ’s Jonathan Jones and Bryant McFadden. “Ever since I came here, I came here for the opportunity to start and lead a team. I definitely have been given that and I’m just trying to take advantage of that every day.”
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