OP-ED: My Thoughts About The 2022-2023 Pittsburgh Steelers Season

Football is finally back, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a weird position for the start of the season. The team’s previous quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, also known as “Big Ben,” retired at the end of the 2021-2022 season. Leaving the team with only backup Mason Rudolph, the Steelers added two new quarterbacks to their roster: Mitch Trubisky from the Buffalo Bills and Kenny Pickett, just out of the Pitt.

During the preseason, coach Mike Tomlin played all three quarterbacks at different points in the game to see how each of them would perform. Fortunately, they all played well and won all their preseason games, which is good to see, although, the preseason games are much different than the regular season. The preseason games are more like tests. They are meant to try new things and see what works and what does not.

Also, teams tend to play their backup players to see how well they perform. This is done to gauge their draft picks and see where they should be on the roster.  Additionally, preseason games can help the team decide where cuts need to be and who can help fill those missing spots.

However, the regular season is much more competitive. Each team is playing their star players and are working their way to the playoffs. Based on this, I feel like the Steelers are going to have another winning season and will end up in the playoffs, but do not expect them to be first in the division.  Anything is possible. The Steelers may have a phenomenal season, or it could be an atrocious one. We will just have to wait and see.

Up until now, the big question was who the new starting QB would be. As of this week, we know Tomlin decided to start Trubisky as well as made him one of the captains, having Pickett as the backup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 11.

I believe Tomlin made the right choice. Trubisky, former Chicago Bear and Buffalo Bill, has more experience in the “big leagues” compared to Pickett. In an Around the NFL article written by Kevin Patra located on the NFL website, Tomlin said, “He is a guy who came with franchise quarterback experience, and he is comfortable in those shoes.”

Also, Trubisky has a winning record as a starting QB and led the Bears to the playoffs twice. This makes him a more reliable starter.

Pickett has also done an excellent job throughout his college career. I mean he was a first-round draft pick. Similarly, he did well throughout training camp and in his first three preseason games pushing ahead of Rudolph in quarterback order to secure the QB No.2 spot, but he could not outshine Trubisky.

If Trubisky were ever to falter or sustain an injury, Pickett would get to put everything he learned to the test. The Steelers signed Trubisky to a two-year contract. After those two years are up, I assume they are going to trade him for either another player or a draft pick. By that time, Pickett would have gained a ton of knowledge and experience in the professional game.

Being new to the NFL, it may take him more time to get accustomed to the speed of the game and the caliber of the players. For example, some players have 10+ seasons under their belts, which is a substantial difference from college football.

Each season, these players learn more about the game and even their opponents just by playing the game and studying film, as well. Therefore, some games, especially divisional games, are so interesting to watch because of the rivalries these teams have. Eventually, Pickett will learn more as he progresses through his seasons as a Steeler and will gain more experience over time.

I believe it will take a few games, possibly seasons, for the entire team to get the right chemistry. When this happen, the team is going to be a strong one.

I am excited to watch each Steelers game and see how they do. Hopefully, they do well…fingers crossed.

Story by: Carlin Whalen (cjw6426@psu.edu)