The Quarterback Race Isn’t Obvious In Pittsburgh
Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Kennywood, for those unfamiliar with the Pittsburgh area, is the local amusement park in the “412”. It’s about 20 minutes East of downtown and is dead center in the hearts and memories of those lucky enough to spend time there. It might have the national awareness or wow factor that Cedar Point or Six Flags have, but it holds its own with the best.
It’s home to the fan-favorite The Thunderbolt, The Jackrabbit with its epic “double dip”, and The Racer. The Racer, as the name suggests, is two roller coasters that race. My friends and I would taunt each other as we squeezed in next to our parents and put the belts down, confident that they would conclude the ride victorious. It was a ride we took every year.
As my friends and I got older, and a little wiser, we realized that there was a pattern that was quite obvious, and the mystery of who would win the race was over. The realization caused the ride to lose a little bit of its shine, but there were plenty of other rides and games we could pour our attention into.
From 2004 to the end of the 2021 season, the winner of the quarterback position, like The Racer, was a foregone conclusion to those who lived in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger was the starting quarterback for the Steelers. Since Seven’s retirement, it’s felt more like the Steelers front office has taken the child-like approach, standing in line for the ride, not entirely sure which track to pick.
In his end of the season press conference, Mike Tomlin reflected on the performance of both Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett. He praised both players and addressed a question about Rudolph stating he would like Mason to return to Pittsburgh next season, although he is a free agent. Many fans likely nodded their head in agreement, especially on the heels of four above-average performances. I admit, I at least partially like the idea, and I even advocated for a quarterback competition in a previous article. That was before. This is now.
If the Tomlin and Steelers fans get what they want, and Rudolph returns, they may not like what comes with it.
I can’t say for certain that Kenny Pickett is the quarterback of Steeler’s future, I can’t say he’s not. I am confident he will be anointed QB1 barring any massing regression during the offseason. One can hope that competition helps elevate his play, and perhaps even model some of his game from Mason, but I’ve seen this movie before, and it’s not a good one.
It’s important to remember that Kenny Pickett was designated as a backup for his rookie season. He was to sit behind bridge quarterback Mitch Trubisky and develop. As poor performances stacked up in the first three weeks, and boos rained down at Heinz Field as the teams went into the tunnel for half-time halfway through game-four, Tomlin made a change. Kenny Pickett emerged as the starter for the second half. He was celebrated as if he had just won a playoff game, despite the Steelers falling to Zach Wilson and the Jets.
Fast forward about a year, and you can hear those same boos from many of the same people, as number 8 led the offense to terrible performances. Do you see where I’m going with this?
Mitch was Benched for Kenny. Kenny got injured (amidst rumors of a potential benching), and Mitch played the way Mitch plays and was benched for Mason. Kenny got healthy but was de facto benched for Mason. This, for what it’s worth, doesn’t seem like a recipe for success. As Tomlin also outlined in his press conference, Kenny remains the number one quarterback on the depth chart. Leaving Rudolph at number two, should he return.
So what happens if the Steelers start 1-3? Or 2-2 but the defense is saving the game again? Certainly, the boo-birds will be flying all over the North Shore, and Tomlin, Khan, and Rooney will be forced to make a premature decision on a quarterback who has played in just 24 games. That would be a forfeiture of his future in the organization and potentially the league.
The same could be said if Pickett loses the competition in Latrobe. To be clear, I am buying what Mason Rudolph is selling, but if it turns out to just be a flash in the pan, the Steelers will be cooked. It may be painful, it may not, but If Kenny Pickett is the starter for week one of the 2024 season, history suggests his leash is short, and that may not end well for anyone involved.
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