Insider: Steelers won't use 'special packages' for rookie QB Kenny Pickett

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are understandably eager to see quarterback and first-round draft selection Kenny Pickett in action against live defenses as soon as possible. 

That's not the case just because free-agent acquisition Mitchell Trubisky has reportedly struggled during portions of training camp practices, nor does it have anything to do with career backup Mason Rudolph. The Steelers spent draft choice No. 20 overall on Pickett this past spring with the hope that the Pittsburgh Panthers product will eventually become the long-term successor to future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger. 

Patience may prove to be a virtue for such supporters. It was reported in July that head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff are "not gonna rush" Pickett into action during meaningful games before he's ready to go, and Trubisky has sat comfortably atop the depth chart at the sport's most important position since the spring. 

Long before Pickett became a household name among the Pittsburgh faithful, Kordell Stewart served as a "Slash" offensive weapon who, per Jerry Bembry of Andscape, once featured as a "quarterback-slash-wide receiver-slash-running back" for the Steelers. For a Thursday mailbag, Bob Labriola of the Steelers' website was asked if Tomlin could embrace utilizing special packages for Pickett this fall assuming the signal-caller will enter September as a backup. 

"My sense is that Kenny Pickett will get onto the field during the 2022 regular season one of three ways: If coach Mike Tomlin believes Pickett will give the team the best chance to win games; if the quarterback(s) above him on the depth chart are playing poorly to the degree where Tomlin believes they are the reason why the team is losing; or if the quarterback(s) above Pickett on the depth chart are injured and unable to play," Labriola answered. "Pickett is not 'Slash.'"

Labriola failed to add that the Steelers didn't spend such a valuable draft asset on Pickett just to risk his health on gadget plays. In short, the 24-year-old probably won't see the field between Sept. 11 and the Super Bowl in February unless he flips a figurative switch and becomes a revelation later this month or something goes terribly wrong for the Steelers during the season.