Pittsburgh Steelers fans got their first glimpse of the Kenny Pickett experience on Sunday after Mike Tomlin brought the rookie first-round pick in for the second half in place of Mitch Trubisky. The quarterback change was something fans had been calling for over the past few weeks, and after the game Trubisky got brutally honest on Tomlin's decision to bench him in favor of Pickett, via Michael Baca of NFL.com.
“Didn't score enough points, got pulled at halftime. That's how it goes,” Trubisky said. “That's business as usual. Just gotta find a way to pull together as a team and get better from here. So, disappointed, obviously. But that's part of it.”
Trubisky couldn't hide his frustrations over being replaced by Pickett in the game, but noted that he was aware his performance wasn't sufficient. It's obviously disappointing not to get to see out the game he started, but the decision made sense given the circumstances.
Trubisky struggled in the first half and didn't provide much production offensively. Tomlin claims he was looking to get the offense going by bringing Pickett into the game, indicating the need for a spark. Trubisky completed 7-of-13 pass attempts for 84 yards and an interception before making way for Pickett in the second half.
Pickett threw three interceptions and zero touchdown passes after entering the game. He did, however, set an NFL record by rushing for two scores, becoming the first QB in history to do so in their debut. Two of Pickett's three interceptions were hardly the fault of the rookie QB, and his only incompletions in the game were the three picks.
Mitch Trubisky will look to keep battling and win back the starting job, but the decision from Tomlin on Sunday doesn't bode well for the former No. 2 overall pick going forward with Pickett hot on his heels.
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