Steelers didn’t tell Mitchell Trubisky they were drafting Kenny Pickett for a reason

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t tell Mitchell Trubisky they were planning to take a quarterback when they signed him. Why? Because they didn’t owe him that.

The Steelers signed Trubisky to a two-year deal worth over $14 million. He can also earn $4 million in playing time bonuses, assuming he starts in Pittsburgh.

Before the NFL Draft, Trubisky was the presumed starter in the Steel City, though he’d have to earn it in a Training Camp competition with Mason Rudolph. However, times have changed. The team selected Kenny Pickett, quarterback out of Pitt, with the No. 20 pick. This puts Trubisky’s starting status in doubt, and all but eliminates Rudolph as a potential solution.

Steelers didn’t owe Mitch Trubisky an explanation

When asked about the draft at OTAs Trubisky said all the right things — namely that he embraces competition, and that the Steelers did not feel the need to inform him about Pickett. He didn’t deem that an issue, though.

“I knew coming into the situation… wherever I was going to go, I was going to have to come in and compete, earn the trust of my teammates and get back onto the field with hard work and my talent,” Trubisky told the media, per Josh Rowntree of 93.7 The Fan.

Why wouldn’t the Steelers inform Mitch? The answer to that is simple — it’s because they didn’t owe him one.

This isn’t Ben Roethlisberger, or some franchise signal-caller who’s been entrenched in Pittsburgh for years. No, Trubisky was signed in part to compete as a bridge quarterback for a younger, better option down the road. That’s why his deal is two years for now.

And that’s exactly what he’ll do this summer, for better or worse. Pickett won’t back down anytime soon, though. He’s quite familiar with Heinz Field.