Mitch Trubisky entered Pittsburgh Steelers training camp as the top quarterback on the depth chart. While there has been some turbulence, Trubisky remains the top quarterback on the depth chart through two weeks, ahead of veteran Mason Rudolph and rookie Kenny Pickett.
After a slow start to camp, the former Bears Pro Bowler has started to find his rhythm while getting in sync with his new teammates and a new offense. His recent play has created space between himself, Rudolph and Pickett, who have also shown flashes of their potential during the first two-plus weeks of camp. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told CBS HQ on Tuesday that each quarterback remains a viable option.
"They're making it difficult for us," Tomlin said from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. "It's tough to manage three capable guys, but they're forcing us to do it because they're making the necessary plays. They're anticipating, the timing has been good, [and] the accuracy has been good.
"Mitch's silver bullet, if you will, is his fluidity and mobility. He's a really good athlete. Rudolph throws a really good deep ball. (Pickett) has been Steady Eddie. Kenny P, I don't think you can get him in an environment where he gets flustered. ... We saw that at Pitt and it's it's been the same. It doesn't matter what drill or what environment you put him in. He's Steady Eddy and really cool."
Tomlin confirmed Tuesday that Trubisky would be the team's starting quarterback if Pittsburgh was to play a meaningful game tomorrow. Tomlin's comments were appreciated by Trubisky, who started for the majority of his four years in Chicago before spending his one season in Buffalo as Josh Allen's backup.
"It means a lot," Trubisky told CBS Sports HQ's Jonathan Jones and Bryant McFadden. "Ever since I came here, I came here for the opportunity to start and lead a team. I definitely have been given that and I'm just trying to take advantage of that every day.
"I think playing for a coach like Coach Tomlin, it just gives you confidence. I've learned so much since I've gotten here. He's taught me so much, and I think he really gives everybody on the team confidence the way he prepares the way he knows the game. It's been a lot of fun, and it means a lot to me and I'm just looking forward to it. We're building day by day and if we rolled it out, I'd go out there first, and I'm looking forward to that."
Each quarterback has had their ups and downs during camp. Trubisky struggled taking care of the ball early in camp, while Rudolph's strong start led some to believe that the fifth-year veteran could make this a true position battle. Rudolph has since cooled off, while Trubisky has started to improve on his accuracy while being more decisive in his decision-making. Pickett has gone through the typical rookie growing pains. There are times when he has appeared to be overmatched, only to come back and make plays that were similar to the ones he made during his record-setting 2021 season at Pitt.
Along with Trubisky remaining atop the depth chart, another facet of the position battle that has been consistent has been the mutual respect between each quarterback.
"We're all pushing each other," Trubisky said. "We're all trying to get better. But at the end of the day, it is business, it is a competition. ... But inside the quarterback room, we're helping each other out. I'm sharing my past experiences, how I would read things, footwork and just little nuances and stuff like that. So it's been awesome. It's been a lot of fun. And then when you get on the field, it's just competing and pushing each other, but it's all in good fun."
