LATROBE, Pa. -- The quarterback competition in Steelers camp will be watched with intense scrutiny. It's the first time there's been a quarterback competition since Ben Roethlisberger was drafted in 2004. Now, after an 18-year career, it's time for someone else to take the reins.
In turn, we're going to provide updates on what each quarterback is doing throughout training camp -- where they are in the pecking order and, more importantly, how they are performing.
While we will be watching and reporting this competition closely, it's important to note that Mike Tomlin was very specific in how he plans to handle this situation.
"We're not going to micromanage or over-manage this quarterback competition," Tomlin said on reporting day. "The depth chart will not rest on every throw. ... We're gonna be a little bit more steady than that. I think it's important from a leadership perspective to not over-manage it; to not be too impulsive. That's what I relayed to those guys, and our actions will continue to display that mindset."
Here's what we saw during the first practice of training camp:
DEPTH CHART
1. Mitch Trubisky
2. Mason Rudolph
3. Kenny Pickett
4. Chris Oladokun
This was the order during individual drills, and during team drills. It's only one day of practice, and nobody is in pads yet, but Oladokun looks to be a distant fourth as he did not take even one rep during team drills.
During the initial walkthrough prior to team drills, Trubisky led the way in terms of rep count, and Pickett actually logged one more rep than Rudolph during that portion. However, Triubisky, Rudolph and Pickett rotated in order throughout all team drills, which included both seven-on-seven and 11 vs. 11, but no seven shots.
MITCH TRUBISKY
• Completed one of four passes during the first team drill, hooking up with Chase Claypool for a gain of around 10 yards. A bit of a rough start for him.
• Trubisky's only pass in four reps during the second team drill was incomplete, but was nearly hauled in by George Pickens, which would have been a highlight-reel catch. Pickens was in heavy traffic and Trubisky placed the ball only where his receiver had a play. Pickens reached far over his head and grabbed it, but lost the ball when he hit the ground.
If this was full-go, Trubisky doesn't even get the ball off to Pickens. T.J. Watt was in the backfield for a would-be sack.
• Trubisky got more sharp as the drills went along, nearly hooking up with Pickens for a deep ball down the left sideline, but he couldn't stay in bounds.
• Trubisky was definitely the most aggressive quarterback in team drills. This is the time to test the waters and begin building a foundation of trust with the playmakers on offense. This is why stats during training camp don't really matter.
MASON RUDOLPH
• Lots of underneath routes and checkdowns.
• He went 2/2 during the second team drill, hitting Gunner Olszewski on a crossing route for a first down on the first throw, then found Jace Sternberger after rolling out on play-action.
• Perhaps the most impressive throw was to Tyler Vaughns during the third drill. Rudolph threw a bullet in a tight window, and Vaughns came down with an impressive catch. Shades of Big Ben there.
• All in all, we saw a lot what you would expect from Rudolph. He got rid of the ball quickly, but didn't push the ball down the field too often. When he did, he had some success. But again, this is before the guys put on pads. Take it with a grain of salt.
KENNY PICKETT
• In one team drill, Pickett completed both of his passes -- one to Connor Heyward on a play-action bootleg for only a couple yards, and the second a screen to Steven Sims.
• He completed all four of his passes during the third team drill, including a very nice swing pass to Mataeo Durant and threaded the needle to Kevin Rader on a dig.
• Of the three quarterbacks, Pickett was unsurprisingly the most mobile. The one time he stepped up in the pocket -- which was the right play, given the circumstance -- he was intercepted by Carlins Platel.
• Pickett showed flashes of the guy who led Pitt to an ACC championship last season. He also clearly looks more comfortable on the move.
FINAL THOUGHT
To reiterate once again, this was football in shorts. It was a glorified OTA session. Things will kick up a notch when the guys put on pads Saturday. Nothing Trubisky, Rudolph or Pickett did today will help or hurt their current standing.
"Rest assured that it was a good start," Tomlin said at the end of practice. "(But) we have miles to go."
