Analyst: Steelers shouldn't start rookie Kenny Pickett until after Patriots game

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is undeniably the flavor of the week among many diehard fans after the rookie who began August allegedly not "ready to play exhibitions yet" shined in his first two preseason games and completed 19-of-22 passes for 171 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Free-agent signing Mitchell Trubisky seemingly read the figurative writing on the wall and publicly campaigned for Pittsburgh's QB1 gig earlier this week, while backup Mason Rudolph appears to understand his time with the franchise is quickly ticking away. It's still likely that head coach Mike Tomlin will name Trubisky his starter for the Week 1 matchup at the Cincinnati Bengals, but insiders such as ESPN's Adam Schefter are insisting Pickett will eventually take snaps against a live opposing defense this fall. 

Some have examined the schedule to locate a perfect time for Pickett's official debut in the Steelers' starting lineup. For a piece published Friday, Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review shared an interesting thought on the topic and explained why he believes Pickett should be a spectator through at least the Week 2 contest against the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick on Sept. 18. 

"Kenny Pickett has looked great in preseason games," Madden wrote. "But he’s faced defenses that were 100% vanilla. Plenty of media experts want Pickett to start Week 1. So do the citizens. But think about Week 2: Pickett against New England and Bill Belichick’s defense. It’s best to wait. Mitch Trubisky hasn’t lost the job, anyway. Pickett will experience culture shock whenever he first plays in the regular season. But Belichick might crush Pickett’s soul. Like legendary Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau did to so many rookie quarterbacks." 

After that Week 2 showdown, Pittsburgh will have a quick turnaround and play at the division-rival Cleveland Browns on Sept. 22. Cleveland is on track to start backup signal-caller Jacoby Brissett that Thursday night with Deshaun Watson serving an 11-game suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. 

"If the Steelers can’t beat the Browns with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, the Steelers aren’t a playoff team," Madden added. "You can’t just be better than the bad teams. (But then you can turn to Pickett.)"

After the Cleveland game, the Steelers will have some extra time to prepare for a Week 4 clash against the New York Jets held at Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 2. Perhaps that could be the perfect occasion for Pickett's first start depending on what happens throughout September.