The first full day of Steelers camp was mostly all about the quarterback “controversy”

For those Steelers fans among us who have a hard time focusing on anything but the quarterback stuff (me), the 2022 version of training camp has already been glorious.

“Just saw the latest on the Steelers today. Trubisky 1-4, Rudolph 4-4, Pickett 2-4. A QB controversy brewing.”

The above was a text I received from a friend of mine on Wednesday night, just hours after the Steelers' first day of “kinda” real practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. My friend was responding to the biggest news story of the day (outside of Diontae Johnson’s “hold-in,” of course). While those stats mean nothing, and while the sample size was about as small as it could be, I don’t think my friend’s use of the phrase “QB controversy” was hyperbolic in any sense.

Why do I say that? Because reporters and radio hosts were discussing it all day long on Wednesday.

They were wondering why Mitch Trubisky, the six-year veteran the team signed at the onset of free agency, appeared to be fully confident that he already had the starting quarterback spot locked up.

But he was 1 of 4!

I woke up on Thursday morning and, I kid you not, one of the first things I saw on Facebook was an “article” from some site (not even one of the good “pretend media” sites) with a headline that read: “Mitch Trubisky is already disappointing Steelers fans.”

Wow.

In addition to the fears that Trubisky’s 1 of 4 performance in football without pads was a bad sign, there were those who were concerned about Kenny Pickett, the rookie first-round pick, and whether or not he was going to get a legit shot at competing for the starting quarterback spot. After all, 2 of 4 is better than 1 of 4. “Why draft Pickett if you were never going to give him a genuine shot at winning the start job?” was a popular refrain on Wednesday.

What about the fact that Mason Rudolph was 4 of 4, a performance that will always best 1 of 4 and 2 of 4—at least on the “QB controversy” scale?

Yikes. You talk about scaring the bejeezus out of Steelers fans. What if it’s true? What if the likes of Mark Kaboly are correct? What if Rudolph really does win the starting job? Would it be an indictment of the Steelers’ ability to evaluate and procure talent during the latter stages of Kevin Colbert’s tenure as general manager, or would it be a credit to Rudolph for making the most of his first real chance to win the starting job?

I think you know what it would be.

I love it.

This camp is going to be tremendous, as will every Steelers training camp in the future if some quarterback doesn’t hurry up and do something to render four practice passes on a sunny day in Latrobe meaningless.