Coming into the 2022 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves undefined at the quarterback position for the first time since 2004. That’s the year in which the team selected Ben Roethlisberger out of Miami (Ohio) with the 11th overall pick in that draft. Roethlisberger spent the next 18 season establishing a Hall of Fame resume, but with his retirement, the Steelers are looking to replace him in every possible way.
There’s Mason Rudolph, on the roster since the Steelers took him out of Oklahoma State in the third round of the 2018 draft. There’s former Bears first-round pick and Bills backup Mitch Trubisky, signed to a two-year, $14.3 million contract with $5.25 million guaranteed. And there’s Pitt alum Kenny Pickett, selected with the 20th pick in the 2022 draft.
That’s a lot of moving parts, and not a lot of definition at the game’s most important position. Through two preseason games, Pickett has muddied the waters for anyone who thought that Trubisky would be the de facto starter.
Right now, Pickett has a 142.5 quarterback rating with only three incompletions and three touchdowns on only 22 dropbacks.
Not only did Pickett understand and exploit his pre-snap reads, but he played with great anticipation and trusted his receivers to make plays; especially in the two-minute drive before the half last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Let’s dive into the film to break down why Pickett is making the starting quarterback position a battle in the Steelers’ camp!