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The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the Cincinnati Bengals in Ohio for their regular season opener, and leading up to the game there were plenty of questions which needed answered.
Mike Tomlin, as he does during the regular season, held court with media Tuesday for his weekly press conference. It was here where he outlined everything from the injury report to the depth chart.
However, the topic which had the entire fan base riled up prior to Tomlin taking to the podium was the updated depth chart which was released just an hour before Tomlin’s press conference.
In the updated chart, the Steelers moved rookie Kenny Pickett from QB3 to QB2, pushing Rudolph to the QB3 on the most updated depth chart. For roughly 24 hours the team had the depth chart of Trubisky as QB1, Rudolph as QB2 and Pickett as QB3. So, what happened? What caused the change?
According to Tomlin, it was a “clerical error”. This per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com:
Coach Tomlin said the error on the depth chart at quarterback on Monday was a 'clerical error.' He called it the 'cut and paste' element.
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) September 6, 2022
Citing the “cut and paste” element of the depth chart might seem like a stretch, but Tomlin did finally provide some clarity at the quarterback position.
Mitch Trubisky was finally named the starting quarterback, which should shock no one, and Kenny Pickett was named the genuine No. 2 quarterback. So, will the Steelers be dressing three quarterbacks on game day, or will Rudolph or Pickett not get a helmet.
According to Tomlin, Rudolph won’t be dressed on game days.
Tomlin said Kenny Pickett will serve as the No. 2 QB against the Bengals and take the second-team reps in practice. He said Mason Rudolph will not dress for the Bengals, a demotion for a five-year veteran who has spent the majority of his career as Roethlisberger’s top backup
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) September 6, 2022
With all eyes on the quarterbacks, the other news from Tomlin’s press conference surrounded injured players. Tomlin wasn’t willing to say whether Diontae Johnson’s shoulder is healthy enough to have him in the lineup, but he did say he is expecting Alex Highsmith (ribs) to return to the field Sunday.
Coach Tomlin expects linebacker Alex Highsmith to be ready on Sunday.
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) September 6, 2022
As far as Diontae Johnson he did not indicate whether or not he would be available. He said to watch the injury report.
Tomlin pointed all other injury questions to the Steelers official injury report, which will be coming out after Wednesday’s practice.
Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday in Ohio for the regular season opener.
For more information on Mike Tomlin’s weekly press conference, check out the Press Conference Recap podcast below:
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