Steelers appear to unofficially name starting QB

Aug 30, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has yet to publicly name a starting quarterback for Week 1, but it would appear he has made his decision.

The Steelers on Monday announced that they have named five team captains for the upcoming season. Mitchell Trubisky is one of them.

Our 2⃣0⃣2⃣2⃣ team captains:@ohthatsNajee22@CamHeyward
Miles Killebrew@Mtrubisky10@_TJWatt

📝: https://t.co/vyUjtrr6Qt pic.twitter.com/EV4wIgcivI

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 5, 2022

Tomlin did not choose Trubisky as a captain. Players vote to determine which of their peers they want to serve as captains. Still, that is a solid indication that Trubisky is going to enter the season as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback.

The Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round after they signed Trubisky to a two-year, $14 million deal in free agency. It always seemed unlikely that Tomlin would want to start a rookie in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. There have been some signs that Pickett may have the backup job locked down, however.

Trubisky is said to have struggled a bit during training camp, but it would be a surprise if he is not given the first shot at proving he can help the Steelers win games.