Pickett is the future of the Steelers… not Trubisky
Perhaps the most important reason that Kenny Pickett should be the quarterback starting from the gate is that he’s the future of the Steelers. It was never going to be Mitch Trubisky (as badly as some fans wanted it to be). As the 24th overall pick this year, the Steelers need to see what they have in their young quarterback.
The only way Trubisky should get the nod is if Pickett doesn’t appear ready during training camp and the preseason. However, something tells me that the competition between those two is going to be remarkably close. Mike Tomlin would not rule out Pickett winning the starting job from day one.
If the competition is close, they should go with the younger player who they drafted to be the face of the franchise. I’m not thrilled about the total package with Pickett in terms of arm talent, but we have seen enough of Trubisky to know that he’s only a stop-gap option.
Unless the Steelers believe that Trubisky will be good enough to lead them to a deep playoff run this year (and they shouldn’t), Pickett should get the nod, as the team needs to let their rookie earn some reps from the gate.