Pittsburgh Steelers announce starting quarterback for preseason game versus Seattle
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going full-steam ahead with quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Thursday that Trubisky will play and start in Saturday’s preseason game versus the Seattle Seahawks. It’s the Steelers’ first preseason game of the 2022 season and the first showing of the squad without legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger.
The Seahawks will also work with a new face at quarterback on Saturday. They retained Geno Smith after the departure of Russell Wilson and he’s at the front of the QB race in Seattle for now.
The Steelers released the first depth chart of 2022 last week with Trubisky at the top of the quarterback group. Mason Rudolph claimed the backup spot with 2022 NFL Draft pick Kenny Pickett slotting in as the third-string QB.
Trubisky spent last season as the backup for the Buffalo Bills, serving behind Josh Allen. Meanwhile, Rudolph spent time behind Roethlisberger over the past few years and filled in when injuries occurred. Pickett was tearing up the field for the Panthers and finishing third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Steelers’ QB competition starts with Trubisky
In March, Pittsburgh announced that they signed Trubisky to a two-year deal. Although they picked up Kenny Pickett, it appears the Steelers want to put the ball in the hands of a more experienced veteran before moving on to the next era.
Trubisky, a former four-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus, had a successful college career at UNC and earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2016, prompting the Chicago Bears to select him with the second-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He never quite lived up to expectations in four seasons with the Bears.
The QB started all four years in Chicago, and he amassed 10,609 passing yards, completing 64 percent of his passes, while throwing 64 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. His best performance came in 2018, when he completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 3,223 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions, a season that saw Trubisky named to the 2019 Pro Bowl.
Chicago traded four draft picks, including the No. 3-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, to move up one spot and pick Trubisky, who never matriculated into the All-Pro-level quarterback that the Bears had expected. As such, Chicago decided to move on, ultimately selecting Justin Fields out of Ohio State, and Trubisky landed in Buffalo as a backup in 2021.