QB Mitch Trubisky trying to 'play free' as he opens Steelers training camp getting 1st-team reps

Mitch Trubisky’s first throw in a training camp practice was a swing pass behind running back Najee Harris that fell incomplete. His second toss also landed on the grass. The third was intercepted by Cameron Sutton.

It wasn’t until his fourth — and final attempt of the drill — that the new Steelers quarterback completed a pass to a player wearing a white jersey. He found Chase Claypool for a short gain.

It added up to a forgettable start to Trubisky’s first practice as he tries to win the starting job created by Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.

Maybe it was jitters. Rust was a possibility, too. No matter. Coach Mike Tomlin said he won’t “micromanage” the competition between Trubisky, incumbent backup Mason Rudolph and first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett and that the depth chart configuration won’t “rest on every throw.”

For the record, Rudolph completed his first four attempts, and Pickett went 2 for 4 on the opening team portion of training camp.

“I saw good work, attentiveness and good communication,” Tomlin said after the conclusion of the 90-minute session. “You know, we’re crawling. I can tell you guys some things, but it’s the early portion of the process, and I appreciate their attentiveness and professionalism.

“They’ll continue to write their stories and sort themselves out.”

As anticipated, Trubisky took the snaps with the first-team offense. Rudolph went next, followed by Pickett. It followed the precedent set in offseason workouts with the exception that rookie seventh-rounder Chris Oladokun didn’t get any snaps.

“He wants us to go out there and play free,” Trubisky said before practice. “He told us that. You’re not worried about every single throw. It’s practice. You’ve got to go out there and test throws. You’ve got to let guys make plays. … That’s part of the territory when it comes to quarterback.

“You’re not holding your head on every single throw. So, you’ve got to let it go, go out there and play. When you’re not thinking about it, that’s when you’re playing your best anyways. That’s what I’m going to try to do during training camp.”

Rudolph isn’t quite adhering to that philosophy even though he has the edge in experience in the Steelers offense. He is entering his fifth year with the team and has spent two years working with Matt Canada, the former quarterbacks coach who is entering his second season as offensive coordinator.

“I think I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Rudolph said. “I mean, you expect a lot from yourself. I want to really be improving. I want to be near-perfect on every throw, on every handoff and every protection adjustment.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I know that there are things coaches are looking at. I try to block all of that out — the outside noise — and focus on the things I can control.”

While Rudolph is competing for a starting job for the first time in his career, Trubisky is trying to regain a role he held for three-plus seasons with the Chicago Bears, who made him the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2017. He spent last season as the backup to Josh Allen on the Buffalo Bills and signed as a free agent with the Steelers because of the opportunity to start again.

“It was a good reset year,” Trubisky said. “I learned a lot in Buffalo, and I think I’m going to take those experiences and pour them into this year. It was a good reset for me mentally. It helps me gain a lot of confidence and that I’m able to go out there and be a starter again.”

In the weeks between the end of minicamp in June and the reporting date for training camp Tuesday, Trubisky worked out at his home in south Florida. He spent some time throwing passes to wide receivers Chase Claypool, Miles Boykin and Cody White.

“I’m very comfortable,” Trubisky said. “I feel like I’ve got a very good grasp of the offense and what coach wants us to do. I think the first couple weeks of training camp we’re trying to establish our identity and see what we are good at.”

Trubisky’s strength is moving around in the pocket and making throws on the run, the type of mobility that Roethlisberger no longer had at the end of his 18-year career.

“My job is to get the playmakers the ball: Diontae (Johnson), Chase, Najee (Harris), Pat (Freiermuth), those guys who can go up and make plays,” he said. “We have to block them up front — we’re building a great offensive line — and let those playmakers make plays. It’s my job to lead the offense. That’s what I plan to do.”

So is Rudolph, who has been waiting for a chance to open the season as a starter since 2018 when the Steelers drafted him in the third round.

“You’re always competing against somebody,” Rudolph said. “Whatever team you’re on, you’re competing against yourself every day. You’re competing against no matter what position or whether it’s for the backup sport or the starting job.”

“That’s always going to be a part of playing quarterback, so I welcome it, and I’m used to it.”