Getty Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacts during a game.
Mark Madden is at it again.
The Pittsburgh media personality, one of the Steelers’ harshest critics, piled on more disapproval of head coach Mike Tomlin after learning that third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph has been splitting reps with Kenny Pickett‘s backup Mitch Trubisky at practice.
“Absolute bull***t from a fraudulent coach,” Madden tweeted.
It’s been a tumultuous season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Tomlin at the forefront. All eyes were on him and the handling of the team’s quarterback situation after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger.
Tomlin started his 16th season in full support of then-starting quarterback Trubisky, whom the Steelers signed minutes after the free agency window opened in March. But after three games, one win and two losses, Tomlin made a change.
We’ll never know whether it was the locker room incident at halftime between Trubisky and wide receiver Diontae Johnson that sparked the sudden switch. No matter the reason, rookie Kenny Pickett was given a helmet, and the rest is history.
Pickett’s first nine games have had their ups and downs — mostly downs — but “NFL ready,” as Pickett was touted during the draft process, doesn’t mean instant sensation.
Why is Madden, the Steelers critic that fans love to hate, slamming Mike Tomlin this time? Is it because Mitch Trubisky, second on the Steelers depth chart, should be getting the bulk of the reps in preparation for the Carolina Panthers?
Steelers Pundit Mark Madden Explains
It seemed Mark Madden’s crushing assessment of Mike Tomlin was just a tease for his X 105.9 opinion piece, 5-8 Dumb Things Down. Madden suggests the quarterback competition at practice this week is a mere deflection for the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers are 5-8, their worst start to the season since 2013.
“It’s defecating on Mitch Trubisky, who has been the backup all season,” Madden said of the quarterback competition.
Madden noted that he’d like to see Mason Rudolph start because it would be “good theater” and suggested Trubisky tell Tomlin to, in kind and gentle terms, “stick it.”
“I’d like to see Trubisky tell Coach Mike Tomlin to stick it. Because Tomlin deserves that. Trubisky has had promises broken and been scapegoated.”
Mike Tomlin has ‘Mangled’ the Steelers Quarterback Situation
“Tomlin has mangled the QB situation since the day Ben Roethlisberger retired,” Madden wrote.
And he’s not wrong.
At the onset of training camp, Mike Tomlin declared the Steelers’ quarterback situation was an open competition — for any of the three contenders to win. However, Trubisky got first-team reps throughout offseason practices. Hardly a competition. In Tomlin’s defense, it’s tough to divvy up reps between three quarterbacks and get a solid idea of which is performing better.
Then there was the “clerical error,” which had first-round rookie Kenny Pickett listed as the third quarterback on the Steelers’ initial depth chart. Tomlin cleared the air in a press conference blaming the snafu on a cut-and-paste mistake.
In September, Mike Tomlin revealed in an interview with Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer that Mitch Trubisky would be the starter for the season. Less than a month later, Kenny Pickett took the reigns.
Pickett has been in concussion protocol since early in their December 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the second time in eight weeks. A massive hit by linebacker Roquan Smith did him in. While he’s practiced in a limited fashion since December 14, the Steelers listed him as doubtful for their December 18 matchup with the Panthers.
Mike Tomlin says Kenny Pickett was a “partial participant” again today at practice, they’ll get concussion protocol clarity tomorrow. He’s listing Pickett as doubtful on the injury report.
This week in practice, Pittsburgh prepared both Trubisky and Mason Rudolph for the start in Charlotte. Steelers’ offensive coordinator Matt Canada provided a valid reason for why in a December 16 press conference.
Matt Canada on why the reps are split between Trubisky & Rudolph this week, and if it’s dude to any mistrust in Mitch:
“On Sunday, on the 5th play of the game, our quarterback got banged out. I think it would be a disservice to everybody to have Mason come in without any reps.”
“On Sunday, on the fifth play of the game, our quarterback got banged out,” Canada said. “I think it would be a disservice to everybody to have Mason come in without any reps.”
It could come down to the wire as to who will be named the starter.