It surely has been a rollercoaster for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Mitch Trubisky since he came to town. He was originally expected to be the starting signal caller for an extended period of time when signing in March, but speculation swirled ever since the organization drafted Kenny Pickett. A few weeks after being benched at halftime against the New York Jets, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is now reporting that it may not have just been his poor play that led to the rookie replacing him. There has been speculation about a confrontation in the locker room halfway through the matchup, and sources are saying it was between Trubisky and one of his wide receivers.
Steelers quarterback, Mitch Trubisky (#10) prepares to take a snap against the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 2, 2022. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
There is certainly no way to prove if the altercation in the locker room happened to play a role in Mike Tomlin's decision to sit down Trubisky, but the so called "spark" the head coach was looking for could have been due to a lack of confidence within the offensive huddle after the argument between Trubisky and Johnson. It seems as if immediately after the confrontation, Pickett was given the nod.
Dulac explained that sources have knowledge of a heated verbal exchange.
"Trubisky was benched against the Jets following a locker room confrontation at halftime with receiver Diontae Johnson, multiple sources have told the Post-Gazette. According to sources, Johnson began yelling at Trubisky to throw him the ball more, even though Johnson had a pass skip off his hands that resulted in an interception and failed to get his feet inbounds on what would have been a 23-yard touchdown in the first half.""Trubisky stood up to Johnson and a heated exchange occurred. That’s when Pickett was told he would start the second half."
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Diontae Johnson participates in warmups at Acrisure Stadium before a game against the New York Jets on Oct. 2, 2022. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
For what it's worth, after Trubisky came in on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to an injury to Pickett, he did not complete one pass to Johnson. His main targets were Chase Claypool and George Pickens. Johnson has had issues making certain routine plays this season and that could be one of the reasons Trubisky has an evident lack of trust throwing the ball his way.
There is no doubt that the Steelers came away with a huge win against Tampa, but if Trubisky is going to start in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins due to Pickett's concussion, it will be critical that Trubisky and Johnson are on the same page. Miami is set to get Tua Tagovailoa back and their offense has the ability to be extremely dynamic. Pittsburgh's offense will have to put up more points and the playmaking wide receivers will all need to contribute.
It will absolutely make for an interesting conversation within the Steelers organization if the veteran starts and plays well against the Dolphins. It would be hard to turn your back on your rookie quarterback who was only able to start two games, but if Trubisky performs like he did on Sunday, completing 9 of 12 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown, Tomlin is going to have a serious predicament on his hands.
Do you believe that Trubisky was benched in part because of his heated exchange with Johnson in the Steelers locker room? Let us know in the comments below!
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