One of the most significant battles to monitor when training camps kick off later this month is who will win the job to replace Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers signed Mitchell Trubisky this offseason, drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round, while Mason Rudolph remains on the roster.
On his new Not Just Football podcast, Steelers star defensive lineman Cam Heyward said Trubisky enters the competition in the lead for the gig.
"It starts with Mitch. Mitch, we bought him in in free agency," Heyward, per Steelers Depot. "The thing we have to remember about Mitch is he's coming from a situation where in Chicago, they didn't really give him anything. And he still made it to the playoffs. ... Everything like to say 'Mitch did this wrong, Mitch did that wrong.' Man, Mitch did a lot of things right. Hopefully we have a better team around him. And we're going to support him. Right now, he's our No. 1."
Trubisky generated a 29-21 record as a starter in four seasons in Chicago, including two playoff appearances. But he has averaged just 6.4 pass yards per attempt since 2019 (second lowest in the NFL in that span -- only Big Ben's 6.2 was lower). Trubisky spent 2021 as Josh Allen's backup in Buffalo.
Meanwhile, Pickett shined in his final season at Pitt, setting an ACC single-season record with 42 pass TDs in 2021 and a school record with 4,315 pass yards (sixth most in FBS). He also generated 1,299 deep pass yards in 2021.
The battle to see who starts Week 1 will commence when the Steelers kick off training camp practices on July 27.
"We don't know what it's going to be by the time the season kicks off," Heyward said. "There's a lot of football that's gotta take place. All we're doing in OTAs is running around in shorts. I'm excited to put on the pads and see how these guys deal with pressure in their face."
