Steelers' Mitch Trubisky addresses chants for rookie Kenny Pickett

Frustrated Pittsburgh Steelers fans chanted the name of rookie quarterback and first-round draft selection Kenny Pickett during Sunday's 17-14 loss to the New England Patriots as starter Mitch Trubisky struggled to light the Acrisure Stadium scoreboard up. 

Trubisky completed 21-of-33 passes for 168 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and he noticed that pockets of home supporters were vocally asking head coach Mike Tomlin to replace him with Pickett. Per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Trubisky addressed the chants following the defeat that dropped Pittsburgh to 1-1 on the young season. 

"It is what it is," Trubisky said of fans wanting to see Pickett in action. "You just block it out and continue to play football." 

Paying customers aren't the only people within the NFL community thinking Tomlin should consider making a change ahead of the "Thursday Night Football" clash at the division-rival Cleveland Browns (1-1). For a piece published Monday morning, ESPN's Dan Graziano explained why it wouldn't be an overreaction to bench Trubisky in favor of Pickett immediately. 

"What do the Steelers have to lose? Are they going to drop from 255 yards per game to 245? And if they do, so what? Pickett surely didn't look in the preseason as if the game was too big or too fast for him," Graziano noted. "His college résumé is extensive, and he enters the league with as much experience as any rookie in recent memory. If he offers anything resembling upside over what Trubisky has shown, why not? Everyone in the division lost on Sunday, so there's still an opportunity for Pittsburgh to make something of this season. And if nothing else, sheesh, at least maybe they wouldn't be so hard to watch!" 

Tomlin likely will not start the first-year pro in Cleveland with only a handful of days between contests. If, however, Trubisky fails to guide the Steelers to a second win on Thursday, Pickett could have some extra time to prepare to face the New York Jets at home on Oct. 2 if Tomlin decided he was ready to shake things up at the start of next month.