It took only 3 ½ games for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to decide that he had seen enough of Mitch Trubisky. Tomlin couldn’t have picked a better time to make the switch than during their Week 4 tilt with the New York Jets at home in Pittsburgh. Pickett received a standing ovation when his hometown boy played his college football in the same stadium for the University of Pittsburgh.
With the season approaching, every analyst on television and radio is trying to guess when the change will happen. Some are even favored Pickett start the season when Pittsburgh Week 1 comes to an end Trubisky. But the move is inevitable and is bound to happen at some point in the season. Trubisky clearly didn’t play impressively, and while he wasn’t the worst, the Steelers lost two in a row in the Jets game.
Trubisky and the offense did not unravel it in any way. Damn, they’re hardly average. Before being substituted, Trubisky finished seventh of 13 84-yard passes and interceptions. Pickett entered the field and completed 6 of his first 7 passes. Pickett also threw INT, but that was to be expected in the first regular action of his career.
It’s a good move to go with this boy at the start of the season, especially when your veteran quarterback isn’t playing well. It would be one thing if Trubisky did just enough for the Steelers to win. But after starting 1-0, the Steelers dropped the game for the Patriots and Browns. It was nearly impossible for New England to figure out who would call the plays into the season, and the Steelers lost to them but by only 17 points. That game’s final score was 17-14 in Week 2. If that’s the offensive output that Trubisky is in, then you can play rookie too. And that is where we are now.
Ultimately, Pickett’s first game didn’t go as planned as the Steelers lost to the Jets 24-20. There were some great moments for Pickett in the game alongside two INTs, one of which came late in the fourth round and set up the Jets for the score to go first. But the future is now in Pittsburgh, and Steelers fans hope they’ve found their next QB franchise.
Pickett will have his first NFL game next week against the Buffalo Bills unless something changes. It could have been Pickett’s first “welcome to the tournament” moment, as that game will be in Buffalo.
