Steelers' QB Competition: Two QB's Often Equals No QB's

Establishing the starter later in the season generally means you have no concern with making the playoffs, or competing for a Super Bowl. If you cannot identify who among the QBs stands out, then you have a much deeper issue. A sincere lack of talent evaluation. 

To be clear, the starter for this year does not equate to the future of the franchise. It also doesn’t mean that if you announce one of the veterans between Rudolph or Trubisky, that Pickett was a waste of a draft pick. Even though I think the starter should be announced before week 1, I have no issue switching QBs in season. You just need a firm understanding of who the better QB is or will eventually be, during training camp and preseason. However, if one of the veterans struggles while Pickett ascends, I have no issue with the rookie taking over. My qualm comes with switching back and forth. 

I am a believer in first round QBs playing sooner rather than later. Look at San Francisco and their ongoing saga with Trey Lance. After 2 years, there are doubts about the move to trade up for him. The reasons are obvious - they still haven't started him, and they haven't traded Jimmy G.

As an NFL coach you should be able to make a definitive decision relatively quickly. Talent is not hard to see, even to novice football fans. Not starting Lance in two years leaves San Francisco in a nearly untenable position. They see he might not be all they had hoped, but they also want to validate the trade capital used to pick him at number 3 overall.

Even if they have doubts, Lance has to start now. Because you can’t keep a 1st round pick as a backup QB. The Steelers should avoid finding themselves in this position. Pickett needs to see the field, and this year. It’s fine if he isn’t ready to start week 1, but at some point, Pickett needs to see time as a starter - or the Steelers' could find themselves in a precarious 49ers-esque position.

Also, it doesn’t matter what week that is, or who the Steelers play. There have been some talking heads in Pittsburgh media that have cited certain teams on the Steelers schedule as “easy” starts for Pickett. To be clear, that doesn’t exist. 

It’s the NFL, so no matter when Pickett starts, whether it’s New England or Jacksonville, he'll be playing against NFL athletes and NFL schemes, the likes of which he never saw in the ACC. So regardless of who he makes his NFL debut against, it’s going to be a tough slate.

If he ultimately doesn’t pan out as the successor to a two-time Super Bowl winning future hall of fame QB, that's ok. But you must know sooner rather than later, so you can find that future Super Bowl winning QB in Pittsburgh, instead of just delaying the process.