The Mandatory Veteran Minicamp the Steelers completed this week involved football-like activities, as opposed to the playing of actual football, so what was revealed should be interpreted as more enlightening than defining.
But the light illuminating the QBs was nonetheless revealing.
āI think āCoachā (head coach Mike Tomlin) has been very clear that Mitch (Trubisky) is No. 1 and Mason (Rudolph) is No. 2 and Kenny (Pickett) is No. 3,ā offensive coordinator Matt Canada confirmed at the outset of the three-day event on Tuesday.
Tomlin actually hadnāt said anything of substance to the media on the subject, and still hasnāt.
But the team has apparently been brought up to speed.
Perhaps thatās why offensive linemen Mason Cole and Kevin Dotson had seemed so comfortable confirming the pecking order at QB with media who otherwise wouldnāt have been permitted, per Steelers policy, to report on the rotation back on the first day of OTAs.
There will still be a competition to stage once the Steelers get together again in late July at St. Vincent College.
But that is destined to be contested on the Steelersā terms, which means itāll be Tomlinās call and itāll be made at Tomlinās discretion.
āWeāve gotta find a way to get to who the starting quarterback is gonna be but weāre also very focused on giving everybody a fair shot to do it,ā Canada continued. āAnd fair is not always equal, we all understand that.ā
In other words, itās Trubiskyās job to lose.
As it should be given that the first regular-season game will take place on Sept. 11 at Cincinnati, and that three of those are scheduled to be played in a span of 12 days through the Steelersā Sept. 22 visit to Cleveland.
Trubisky even earned an unintentional endorsement from rookie wide receiver George Pickens, who had this to say about a deep ball he caught that Trubisky had launched:
āHeās been one of the quarterbacks to release it for sure, going downfield,ā the No. 2 pick observed. āA lot of other guys have been trying to get with the program, which is totally fine. āYeah, heās been launching it for sure.ā
Interpretation: The other quarterbacks have been playing it by the numbers, distributing the ball where itās supposed to go on a play-by-play basis. Trubisky has been looking to take his shots down the field whenever they might arise, as a quarterback who is confident in his abilities and secure in his standing more naturally would.
Pickett, presumably, was selected 20th overall for a reason.
And he impressed rookies and veterans alike in the spring sessions, his first as a professional.
None of it seemed too big for Pickett, who came off as genuinely humble and charismatic, as did Trubisky.
Hereās hoping Pickett emerges from training camp as the backup, which should keep him as involved as possible, keep the practice reps coming at as reasonable a rate as can be expected and keep the preparation at a one-snap-away level of urgency.
All of the above must still be confirmed by the playing of actual football at St. Vincent and in the preseason.
But itās looking like weāll be in for more of a Trubisky coronation than a three-way competition in Latrobe, at the very least a temporary ascension to the throne
Photo: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers/Steelers.com