The Steelers were without Kenny Pickett for their Thursday night loss to kick off Week 14. The same will hold true of their starting quarterback for their next game. 
[RELATED: Mike Tomlin Not On Hot Seat]
When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Mike Tomlin announced Pickett will be out for Pittsburgh’s Saturday contest against the Colts. As he recovers from surgery on a sprained ankle, Mitch Trubisky will again get the nod for Pittsburgh in a game with signficant AFC playoff implications.
A report from last week indicated the Steelers were preparing for a four-week Pickett absence, so today’s update comes as little surprise. Pittsburgh elected not to place the 2022 first-rounder on injured reserve, though, leaving the door open to a return on a shorter timeline. While Pickett continues to rehab from surgery, Trubisky will be counted on to deliver an improved performance from the Steelers’ offense, a unit which has drawn heavy criticism throughout the season.
OC Matt Canada was fired in a rare in-season coaching change, but the new setup on the sidelines did not produce a spark over a disappointing two-game span last week. Losses to the Cardinals and Patriots leave the Steelers at 7-6, making them one of six teams at that record in the AFC’s wild-card picture. The Colts are another, and they will have Gardner Minshew at quarterback in what will be a battle of the backups this Saturday.
While Trubisky is in line to get another start – his seventh as a Steeler – third-stringer Mason Rudolph will also get some practice work this week, Tomlin added. However, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor notes it is unlikely the latter will realistically receive a chance to start. Regardless of who is under center, the Steelers will require improved play on offense compared to recent performances to maintain a playoff position.
Some people want Trubisky benched in favor of Rudolph. Those people have forgotten what it’s like to watch Rudolph play. If watching Mitch is like being branded with a hot iron, watching Mason is like Chinese water torture. Could be worse… Trace McSorley is now on the practice squad, he makes the other two look like Pro Bowlers.
We’ll know the Steelers are beyond desperate when they start scouting the Pirates pitchers for a good arm.
And yet, for as cruel as you claim it was to watch Mason, he still has more TD passes than Pickett in his career….
Yeah, I think Rudolph is not worse than Trubisky, at least not significantly. Trubisky offers a lot more as a runner, but his utter inability to read defenses post snap is a huge hindrance. Belichick really fooled him all throughout that game on Thursday.
It was a good game because of good defensive play on both sides, but it’s not like Zappe played a great game either. He made some bad reads, but watching him throw the ball was painful many times. His arm is just not strong enough to avoid giving defenses opportunities on the ball. Because of Zappe not capitalizing, Pittsburgh got a few opportunities-like that pick in the fourth. There were several other opportunities that could have been turnovers or where the Pats got bailed out-two big throws to Smith-Schuster should have been either incomplete or picks, but the Steelers didn’t capitalize. That interception should have resulted in points, but Trubisky made a bad read and missed on what should have been a better play on the scramble.
My point is that mistakes by both quarterbacks left points on the board for both teams. The Patriots looked to have game planned better overall against Trubisky, hence the win. Trubisky has had many, many more starts than Rudolph. He should be better in his defensive reads than he is, and definitely better than Rudolph is. I don’t know if Rudolph will be any better, but Trubisky doesn’t look to have a solid footing as a starter either. If they do keep him, I expect their isage of him to adjust, though. He did have a few bright moments to Washington (who is absolutely lost a blocker), so I’d think that if they’re keeping Trubisky, more two TE sets with Washington as a receiver and more of Trubisky running would maximize his use.
Well stated. In a way, I feel badly for Rudolph. By all accounts, Roethlisberger resented his being drafted and was anything but a mentor to him. And while he had some chances to show his abilities, there sure are a great many people who say he tore it up in camp and exhibitions in ‘22 and was still shoved to the bench
Seems like he’s in someone’s doghouse for whatever reason
I remember Rudolph having a big arm at Ok State but being slow footed and suffering from tunnel vision in his starts here
And still, I think he’s better than Trubisky.
They have a real problem at QB moving forward as things stand. 23 starts in and Pickett has shown little and two guys behind him who look like career back ups, at the very best
Whoever scouted Mitch of Mahomes should be banned by the NFL from having a job. I know there’s plenty of Bears fans here that are excited about the upcoming draft, but do they feel confident w/ their new GM situation to make that judgement call or start over? That would be a good poll.
Mitch still has the qualities that make it seem like he’d be a good qb, athletic, strong arm, etc but he gambles taking bigger shots, often unnecessary ones while under duress, way too much. He isn’t accurate enough to pull off that balancing act like Farve or Marino mastered so the end result is far too many game killing turnovers and a general inability to establish and maintain continuity for the offense over the course of a whole game.
I can’t go another game watching Mitch
It hurts my brain
I would rather watch Rudolph personally
I should preface this by saying no, I am not looking for the Steelers to fire Tomlin
But the QB drama here again speaks to his stubborn streak. On one hand, I get that they have to stick with their first round pick even if he looks glaringly overmatched at this level
But dear God, let the kid throw downfield. Often. Let him throw down the middle. It’s like they drafted a game manager to not take chances or heaven forbid, make mistakes. We still have no idea if Pickett is the victim of continuous asinine play calling or if they simply knew he didn’t have it
But jeez, for better or worse let him play the position. They say Tomlin oversees everything and if so, how did he sit back and approve this game plan time and time again?
On the other hand, how much rope is he going to give Trubisky? Here’s another opportunity coming up to see if he has it. Browning and the Bengals torched Indy last week. Why is it that you just know the Colts will suddenly look like a doomsday defense this week?
Tis the season for Rudolph to light the way to the playoffs for the Steelers.
Ain’t happening…unfortunately
Can Pickett play?
That’s the most important question for the Steelers to answer.
On one hand, he’s shown flashes (especially the moxie and intangibles you’d want) mostly in his rookie year, but then this year he’s missing open receivers by 20 feet.
He’s shown he can be accurate, so were there undisclosed minor injuries or has his confidence just been so shaken?
They need answers to that.
I give you credit. My thinking that Kenny was the franchise QB ended a few games ago. But I hope you’re right, that it was the combination of a bad OC and worse O-line that has us here
But Tomlin isn’t a dummy. For all his junior high play calling, neither was Canada. There has to be a reason they’ve proceeded so tentatively with Pickett. Shame no media type has the courage to ask.
W. Pickett stinks