Analyst 'likes' Steelers' QB combo despite uncertainty

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was brutally honest during his recent appearance on "The Pivot Podcast" when he admitted he is "excited about being uncomfortable" regarding uncertainty at the quarterback position following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger.

Free-agent signing Mitchell Trubisky famously flamed out with the Chicago Bears, spent last season as a backup with the Buffalo Bills and is with his third team since January 2021. Career No. 2 Mason Rudolph could be traded either during or after the preseason, largely so that first-round draft selection Kenny Pickett can learn about life in the NFL as a primary backup who presumably isn't yet ready to handle QB1 duties at this stage of his young career. 

Nevertheless, Adam Schein of the NFL's website offered solid praise for Pittsburgh's situation while recently explaining why he believes the AFC North has the second-best group of signal-callers among the league's divisions. 

"And I like the Steelers' quarterback combo. Whoever starts (the veteran Trubisky or the rookie Pickett) will represent a serious upgrade over the version of Ben Roethlisberger we saw over the last two years," Schein noted. "After Trubisky's rocky tenure with the Bears came to an end, he earned a Ph.D. in quarterbacking as the backup last season in Buffalo, learning under then-coordinator Brian Daboll and behind Josh Allen. (Plus, as the dismal results in Chicago last season showed, the Bears' struggles during Trubisky's time there were hardly all his fault.) As for Pickett, I'm a big fan of the 20th overall pick. This will be a good battle between two legit players worthy of the gig."

It remains to be seen if Tomlin will actually host the type of battle mentioned by Schein, but it's clear at least some think the Steelers aren't headed toward an inevitable and immediate rebuild that will involve Pickett experiencing growing pains while featuring for a losing team.