Insider compares Mitchell Trubisky-Kenny Pickett battle to Mac Jones-Cam Newton situation

Roughly 24 hours after Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer confidently reported that free-agent pickup Mitchell Trubisky will begin the regular season as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers over both rookie Kenny Pickett and career backup Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin raised quite a few eyebrows when he confirmed on Thursday that Pickett and not Rudolph will be his QB2 behind Trubisky for this Saturday's exhibition game at the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Pickett connected on 13 of 15 passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was the game-winner, in last Saturday's preseason-opening victory over the Seattle Seahawks, and the first-year pro has earned praise throughout the football community following that showing. For a piece published on Thursday afternoon, Eric Edholm of the NFL's website compared the Steelers' current situation to the competition the New England Patriots hosted between veteran Cam Newton and 2021 rookie Mac Jones last summer. 

"Trubisky remains the favorite to start for Pittsburgh in Week 1, but all three candidates for the job (including Pickett) played well last week," Edholm explained. "So we’re not at all ready to call this one yet. It’s apples to kumquats, but let’s look back at the Mac Jones-Cam Newton QB battle in New England last summer. 

"It wasn’t until late August, following joint practices with the Giants, that Jones pulled ahead of Newton fully in that race. We’re still a week away on the calendar from a similar point in the Steelers' battle. If Pickett lights up the Jaguars (and, let’s say, Trubisky struggles), this debate could change quickly." 

The "apples to kumquats" line from Edholm's comments probably refers to the fact that Newton was sidelined for a time last August due to what was initially called a "misunderstanding" of COVID-19 protocols. Newton's absence opened the door for Jones, and the Patriots ultimately cut the one-time NFL Most Valuable Player on the last day of the month. 

It's recommended that Pickett supporters don't hold their breaths waiting for Trubisky to annoy Tomlin in a similar way over the next two weeks.