Steelers QB Mitchell Trubisky: 'I think I’ve just shown I can run this offense'

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin either intentionally or unintentionally delivered a message when he had quarterback Mitchell Trubisky take every snap with the starters over rookie Kenny Pickett during Sunday's preseason finale against the Detroit Lions that Pittsburgh won 19-9. 

Trubisky campaigned to win the starting job via public comments last week and then made a strong case for himself against the Lions, as he completed 15-of-19 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. Following the game, Trubisky again let it be known he's convinced he should be Pittsburgh's QB1 for the Week 1 matchup at the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 11. 

"I feel confident with where I’m at," Trubisky explained, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I feel confident with where I’m at and our overall development as an offense. So I feel confident, and I’m excited to see where we go from here." 

Trubisky then told reporters why he should start over Pickett and backup Mason Rudolph amid rumors that the Steelers have made Rudolph available on the trade market for the right price. 

"I think I’ve just shown I can run this offense, I can lead this offense, and I have what it takes to help this team win games," Trubisky commented. 

As for Tomlin, he suggested following the victory that he could leave fans guessing regarding his choice for starting signal-caller through early September. 

"Like I told you guys the other week, we're not going to make knee-jerk reactions and statements following a performance," Tomlin said on Sunday, according to Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "We'll go through our proper, professional procedure. We'll evaluate the game. We'll meet with our front office people. We'll have discussions. We'll talk internally. We'll talk external possibilities.

"We'll go through our normal procedure this time of year, and we'll disclose it to you at our leisure, to be quite honest with you."

Trubisky has unofficially been atop the depth chart since he signed with Pittsburgh in March and didn't do anything on Sunday to lose the gig. Fans hoping to see Pickett in action as soon as Week 1 may soon find themselves disappointed, but they'll ultimately sing a different tune if Trubisky earns a couple of wins in the closing days of summer.