Steelers told Mitchell Trubisky they would draft Kenny Pickett?

The Pittsburgh Steelers essentially set up a three-way quarterback battle for the 2022 season by drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round of the NFL Draft. Although that might not be great news for the veteran they brought in, it apparently is not unexpected, either.

Mitchell Trubisky had some advance warning of the Steelers’ draft plans, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Trubisky, who signed with Pittsburgh as a free agent earlier in the offseason, was told that selecting Pickett was a possibility at No. 20.

“I was told that (Trubisky) even knew that Kenny Pickett was a strong possibility going into this. If he was there at No. 20, they might take him,” Fowler said Friday on ESPN’s “Get Up!” “He was prepared for this. Everybody knows what’s going on.”

That’s a nice gesture by the Steelers and a smart one as well. Trubisky, who appears to be the early favorite to win the job, could have easily been left blindsided by a Pickett selection.

The Steelers do want to give Pickett a real chance to win the starting job. If he does, however, it will be on merit, and probably because Trubisky did not play all that well in the preseason.