Despite the decision of the Steelers to use the 20th overall pick in the draft on quarterback Kenny Pickett, veteran Mitchell Trubisky has the inside track to be the starter.
Reporting from the team’s training camp, Peter King said Trubisky basically has been told that the No. 1 job is his to lose.
To date, Trubisky hasn’t.
“Coach Tomlin is very transparent about the situation.” Trubisky told King. “I’ve taken all the reps with the ones so far. So I’m just trying not to take any day for granted, just take advantage of this opportunity, continue to lead this team.
So will Trubisky win the job? “I’d like to think so,” he told King.
It makes sense. It’s always easier to go from veteran to first-round rookie than from first-round rookie to veteran. Once Pickett gets the job, it will be very hard to flip it back to Trubisky or anyone else.
Remember — when the Steelers drafted Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, he didn’t start right away. It was only after Tommy Maddox got injured that the door opened for the then-rookie.
The Steelers can afford to take their time. The team will be driven by defense and its running game. They don’t need someone to throw the ball all over the place.
Also, just because things didn’t work for Trubisky in Chicago doesn’t mean he can’t get it done. He helped the team get to the playoffs twice in four seasons with the Bears, and things seemed to fall apart not simply because of him but because he didn’t fit with the team’s offensive approach after John Fox was fired and Matt Nagy was hired.