Trubisky and Mason Rudolph reportedly have had good camps
The Steelers will enter the 2022-23 NFL season with a new quarterback under center, and it sounds like Pittsburgh will be turning to a former No. 2 overall pick to start out the season.
The Steelers brought in Mitchell Trubisky during free agency and drafted former Pittsburgh Panthers QB Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Mason Rudolph returned for one more year, as well, and the trio have been competing in training camp for the starting job.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared his notes from various training camps Wednesday, and his report on the Steelers spoke volumes. Trubisky, Fowler wrote, “remains the clear favorite to start.” He spoke of the work the veteran signal-caller has put forth in the red zone and the response from his teammates.
“I think Mitch is actually turning a lot of heads in camp,” running back Najee Harris told Fowler. “He’s doing a good job of going through reads and understanding what stuff is, doing a good job of taking on that role. I’m excited to see what he does myself.”
On Rudolph and Pickett, Fowler said there’s only so much the four-year pro can do, and as for the rookie, Fowler shared he will likely need some time to develop.
This last point will likely not bode well for those who bought in on Rookie of the Year futures on Pickett. The 24-year-old has +900 odds to win the award on DraftKings Sportsbook — behind New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (+750) and New York Jets running back Breece Hall (+750). Pickett is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year on FanDuel Sportsbook at 8-to-1.
This means a $100 bet on Pickett would net a payout of $1,000 on DraftKings, and a $100 bet would net a total payout of $900 on FanDuel.
However, if Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff do choose Trubisky as the starter for Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, it provides an uphill battle for Pickett to win Rookie of the Year. The former Panther would need to put up gaudy numbers in a limited amount of games, along with outperforming other top skill players in the 2022 draft class, to give himself a chance to win the award.