Report: Steelers' Mitchell Trubisky will 'almost certainly' be Week 1 starting QB

On the same day it was reported that "the distance between" free-agent signing Mitchell Trubisky and career backup Mason Rudolph in the Pittsburgh Steelers' ongoing quarterback competition "isn't that great," Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Trubisky would be his starter if the regular season began today. 

That, of course, isn't the case, but multiple insiders have since insisted Trubisky is the obvious front-runner in the race that has seemingly left first-round draft selection Kenny Pickett far behind. 

For a piece published early Wednesday morning, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote that "Trubisky remains the clear favorite to start, especially after his play picked up in recent days" ahead of this Saturday's preseason opener versus the Seattle Seahawks. 

"Rudolph has made things interesting, though," Fowler continued. "He has been solid and accurate. If it's Trubisky's job to lose, and it appears to be, there's only so much Rudolph can do." 

Fowler repeated a take from earlier in the summer and added that "there's not much feeling that Pittsburgh will rush" Pickett into action before he's deemed ready to face live defenses in meaningful games. 

Later on Wednesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported during an "Inside Training Camp Live" televised segment that "Trubisky seems to be pulling ahead in the three-way quarterback competition" and "will 'almost certainly' be the Steelers starter" for the Week 1 matchup at the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 11. However, Rapoport nevertheless thinks Pickett could see some action before Week 18. 

"Almost always when you have a first-round quarterback, he does at some point," Rapoport remarked about the 24-year-old possibly playing during his rookie campaign. "Does Kenny Pickett earn some starting reps as the season goes on or does Trubisky falter and they have to put him in? That probably, to me, is more of what the quarterback competition is about in Pittsburgh." 

After this Saturday's contest, Pittsburgh will be at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 20.