Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky feel they’ve shown Steelers their worth

Kenny Pickett undoubtedly would prefer to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback when the regular season begins. But he’s not going to hyperfixate on that goal, nor is he going to concern himself if coach Mike Tomlin tells him he’s decided otherwise.

“I think the best advice I ever got is players play (and) coaches coach,” Pickett said after Wednesday’s practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I’m gonna play my (butt) off and then, you know, let the coaches (decide). I trust them 100%. Whatever they think is best for the team, that’s what we’re gonna roll with. And I’ll be the best at whatever I can do.”

Pickett tacitly confirmed he has been getting increasingly more first-team reps in practice, particularly after he had another successful appearance in a preseason game this past week. Veteran Mitch Trubisky, though, still expects to start when the Steelers conclude their preseason Sunday at home against the Detroit Lions.

Trubisky has gotten the vast majority of work with the starting offense over two preseason games and during the first four-plus weeks of training-camp practices. Still, Trubisky is not comfortable — publicly, at least –assuming he will be the starter for Week 1 of the regular season.

Asked that, point blank, Wednesday morning, Trubisky said, “That sounds like a trick question.

“I don’t like the question. I can only assume that I am going out to practice today and I am going to be starting and I’m just trying to get better.”

Does Trubisky expect a formal announcement about the QB1 from Tomlin any time soon?

“I don’t know,” Trubisky said. “There’s got to be some announcement before Game 1, so we will see.”

Mitch Trubisky wants to and is eager play Sunday pic.twitter.com/1iJ2dRf68W

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 24, 2022

Though Trubisky said he hasn’t been told by coaches yet how long he will play against the Lions, he is hoping more reps than he’s gotten so far in the preseason.

Though some on the outside have suggested Tomlin will choose the Steelers’ starting quarterback for their Sept. 11 regular-season opener based off the play of Pickett and Trubisky this Sunday, Pickett downplayed the significance of the preseason finale to that end.

“It definitely has not come down to one game,” Pickett said. “I think it’s over a period of work the last month that we’ve been grinding it out. So I just want to put my best foot forward, play as hard as I can like I always do and let the chips fall where they may.”

Trubisky’s overall preseason numbers (9 for 15, 123 yards, 2 touchdowns, no interceptions) are good, albeit in a small sample size. This past week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the offense struggled under his guidance, but that largely a function of poor protection by the offense line.

Buoyed by leading a touchdown drive at the end of the first half Saturday, Pickett has an even better stat line (19 for 22, 171 yards, 3 touchdowns, no interceptions) through two preseason games.

Still, Trubisky said he “for sure” believes he’s done enough to demonstrate to Tomlin and the other coaches that he deserves to start when the regular season commences.

“I think I have, just in how I carry myself every day and what I have done on the practice field,” Trubisky said. “I would have liked to do more last game, obviously, but hopefully will get another opportunity this week to show why I should be.

“It’s your whole body of work, so everything I have done in my career up to this point, what I have done at minicamp, the practices at Latrobe and preseason games.”

A six-year veteran who started 51 games over his four seasons with the Chicago Bears, Trubisky signed for $14.3 million over two years with the Steelers quickly when the free-agency negotiation period began in March. The Steelers drafted Pickett at No. 20 overall six weeks later, though, and after a slow start to training camp Pickett often has shined in practices and during preseason games.

Picket said Wednesday he is happy with the progress he’s made.

“I’m just more comfortable with the offense playing fast, trusting my eyes, my feet … and going through my reads and my progressions and just getting the ball out of my hand fast,” Pickett said.

Trubisky remains the odds-on favorite to win the camp “competition” to be Ben Roethlisberger’s successor. In that sense, Pickett has nothing to lose over these final days of training camp.

“I’m big on being the same guy every day, being a pro, you know, first guy in, last guy out-type stuff,” Pickett said. “I just want to be the best and win. So that’s all I want to show, and kind of, like I said, let the chips fall where they may after the game. But I’m happy with what I’ve done so far.”

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