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The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the more intriguing quarterback battles in the 2022 preseason. Mason Rudolph is the lone holdover from last season and has been with the team since they drafted him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky in free agency, who is coming off a year as the backup to Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills. With the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Steelers picked the hometown quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Week 1 preseason reps, stats
Mitch Trubisky: 4-7, 63 yards, TD. One rush for four yards
Mason Rudolph: 9-15, 93 yards, TD.
Kenny Pickett: 13-15, 95 yards, 2 TDs. 3 carries for 16 yards.
Who has the edge in the QB battle entering Week 2 of the 2022 NFL preseason?
Trubisky started the scoring off with a solid first drive in the game. He was given another drive but couldn’t find the success from the first, ending in a punt. Rudolph made the highlight reel with a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw to George Pickens in the literal corner of the endzone. Pickett came in during the third quarter and led a perfect drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown.
Calling a spade a spade, this was a preseason game, and Pickett was playing against the bottom of the depth chart of Seattle. He also didn’t air out the ball and mainly relied on check downs to march down the field. All in all, the rookie looked fine in his debut and did what he needed to. His final game-winning drive was just what the crowd needed to see from the rookie, even if it doesn’t vault him up the depth chart.
This still looks like Trubisky’s job to lose as the Steelers head into the second week of the preseason. If Pickett can show he has a deep ball in the second week of the preseason, he could make this a closer race.