Kenny Pickett Might Spend Rookie Season Inactive

The Pittsburgh Steelers won't see their rookie quarterback on gamedays.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers named Mitch Trubisky their starting quarterback, which was expected by many. But their backup is Mason Rudolph, and no one expected him to beat out Kenny Pickett. 

During the final three weeks of the summer, Pickett took a clear lead in second-tea snaps over Rudolph. He played with the twos in the final two preseason games and did not take a third-string snap at practice since the first preseason game. 

But, the Steelers decided Rudolph would be their backup, and therefore, chances are Pickett doesn't even get a helmet during gameday to start the season. 

Pittsburgh typically carries three quarterbacks somewhere on the roster, whether that's two on the 53 and one on the practice squad or three on the active roster. They only keep two active on gameday, though, and if Rudolph is the No. 2, Pickett isn't suiting up. 

So, the Steelers' emergency situation is Rudolph stepping in for Trubisky during a game. If a change needs to be made mid-week, Pickett has an opportunity to step into the role. Anything urgent, however, will be Rudolph. 

The first-round pick looks like he'll spend the season inactive. A weird situation after the way the Steelers treated their quarterback battle in the final weeks. They had a plan all along, though, and apparently, this is it. 

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