Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback, Kenny Pickett already escaped missing a game due to a concussion earlier this year. The rookie exited the team's Week 6 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he was hit and the back of his helmet slammed against the ground. A similar occurrence happened on Sunday when the organization hosted the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. The 2022 first-round pick went into the locker room at the end of the first quarter and from then on, Mitch Trubisky took the snaps for Matt Canada's offense. It didn't turn out well.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky enjoys a moment during practice in preparation to face the New York Jets this Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. Photo Credit - (Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers)
Trubisky entered Sunday's contest towards the end of the first quarter and immediately led the offense to its first touchdown of the day. All was well and good until three of the next four possessions ended with him throwing interceptions in Baltimore territory. An unfortunate series of events that is one of the main reasons Pittsburgh is likely to be watching the playoffs from home come January.
The front office for the franchise refused to trade veteran and longest-tenured quarterback on the roster, Mason Rudolph throughout the last few months. There was plenty of speculation after the signing of Trubisky and selection of Pickett about the back up to Ben Roethlisberger's future. He remains on the roster, but has been inactive each week and is likely to suit up for the first time in Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 30: Mason Rudolph #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers lines up under center in the first half during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on September 30, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Trubisky is completing just 63.3% of his passes and has four touchdowns to a disappointing five interceptions this season. By no means is Rudolph going to lead Tomlin's team to a Super Bowl, let alone the playoffs, but he deserves the chance to show what he has to offer as he is likely to head into an off-season of free agency that could determine his future in the NFL. He is 5-4-1 as a starter in his career and has 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions since he was drafted in 2019.
There is a very slim chance that Tomlin would look to Rudolph against Carolina. The third-string signal caller has taken barely any snaps, even in practice, with the starting group and the offense would likely look even more out of sync than it has the majority of 2022. That isn't to say that Rudolph won't have a shot at getting in the game if Pickett is sidelined and Trubisky makes mistakes along with being unproductive.
The playoff hopes were heavily reliant on a win over the Ravens and now that the best case scenario is a record of 9-8, why not give Rudolph a chance to see if maybe he should be the future back up of Pickett over Trubisky or potentially anyone else? Pickett is unlikely to play versus the Panthers, especially after being one of the only players to clear concussion protocol in under seven days this season.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett warms up in preparation for a Week 5 game at Buffalo. Karl Photo Credit - Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
One of the main takeaways from Sunday's loss was not necessarily that Pickett left due to injury, but Trubisky is still the same quarterback he has been throughout his career. The inexcusable mistakes and costly turnovers are not something to shrug off. The Steelers' young franchise signal-caller has already proven to be a bit fragile in terms of his health and if Pickett is to be around for a while, an investment in a reliable backup is necessary. Is that Trubisky, Rudolph or neither?
Do you think Rudolph deserves a chance to prove his worth as a backup quarterback? Let us know in the comments below!
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