PITTSBURGH — A quarterback timeline that gets more fascinating every day:
— April 29, 2021 — Steelers sign Mason Rudolph to a one-year, $5 million extension for the 2022 season. "We're excited to see what's next for Mason," Kevin Colbert said.
— Jan. 27 — Ben Roethlisberger makes his retirement official.
— March 16 — Steelers sign free agent Dwayne Haskins to a one-year, $2.54 million contract.
— March 17 — Steelers sign free agent Mitch Trubisky to a two-year, $14.5 million contract. "They didn't really have to make a pitch to me or sell me on anything," Trubisky said. "This is where I wanted to be, play for coach [Mike] Tomlin, be a part of the rich Pittsburgh Steelers history and contribute to that."
— April 9 — Haskins is killed when he is struck by a dump truck while walking on a South Florida highway. He was 24.
— April 28 — Steelers make Pitt's Kenny Pickett their No. 1 draft choice. "It was an easy decision," Tomlin said.
— Aug. 9 — Tomlin reiterates at training camp that it is an open competition at quarterback with Trubisky, Pickett and Rudolph. "They've all remained viable. They're making it difficult for us."
— Sept. 6 — Tomlin makes official what everyone had suspected because there really hadn't been an open competition: Trubisky, who took all of the first-team reps during the exhibition season, would start the opening game in Cincinnati. "Man, we're really just comfortable with what Mitch has shown us."
— Sept. 27 — Tomlin vows to stick with Trubisky despite poor play by the offense in consecutive losses to New England and Cleveland: "We're not going to blow in the wind. We're in a no-blink business, particularly if we believe in what it is that we do and the people that we're doing it with. Sometimes, you've just got to show steely resolve and smile in the face of adversity."
— Oct. 2 — Tomlin benches Trubisky at halftime of the next game against the New York Jets with the Steelers trailing 10-6. "We just thought we needed a spark," Tomlin said of going with Pickett, even though Pickett had taken no first-team reps. At that point, Trubisky isn't so thrilled to be playing for Tomlin and the Steelers. "It's definitely not what I wanted, not what I expected," an angry Trubisky said of his benching.
— Sunday — Trubisky comes off the bench midway through the third quarter after Pickett is concussed and leads the double-digit underdog Steelers to a stunning 20-18 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "He's been professional and class at every step of the way," Tomlin said.
— Monday — The Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac reports Trubisky was benched against the Jets at least in part because of a halftime confrontation with Diontae Johnson.
— Tuesday — Tomlin all but confirms there was a halftime incident. "The things that happen among competitors from time to time is normal business. Everyone wants to win. If it transpired, it's good. It probably means there's a couple of guys that wanted to win. If it didn't transpire, it probably means that it should have because we are aggressively pursuing victory. Sometimes, that's emotional."
As for his starter for the game Sunday night in Miami, Tomlin makes it clear it will be Pickett as long as he's cleared from concussion protocol, adding Pickett will have no practice limitations and is expected to take the first-team snaps this week. "We're not going to blow in the wind," Tomlin said. "We're going to be somewhat steady. I've been consistent in my messaging regarding decision making in that position. I think it helps those who are playing. It helps the team in terms of who to follow. We're not going to flip the script now."
Do you have all of that?
Are you as confused as I am?
Do you agree Tomlin has been anything but consistent in his quarterback decision making?
Do you think Trubisky wonders what happened to that "steely resolve?"
Do you think Pickett wonders if the least little bit of wind change will blow Tomlin in a different direction?
All viable questions, right?
I'm still not convinced Pickett will start Sunday night in Miami. The Steelers who most recently were in the concussion protocol — Terrell Edmunds, Pat Freiermuth and Levi Wallace — all missed a game. NFL teams appear to be more diligent and proceeding with more caution with concussions after the fiasco with Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, although Tomlin disputed that as is it relates to Pickett. "It has no bearing on what's been transpiring with the Joneses or other people around the National Football League. We just feel real good about our [medical] expertise. The things going on currently have little bearing on my mentality."
I should say here I'm all in favor of going back to Pickett despite Trubisky giving the team its best quarterback play all season in his quarter-and-a-half against the Buccaneers. Pickett is the quarterback of the future, not Trubisky. Hall of Famer Rod Woodson said that exact same thing a few weeks ago before Tomlin turned to Pickett in the Jets game. Hall of Famer-to-be Ben Roethlisberger said the same thing on his podcast Monday.
"I would love to see Pickett play with these young players on offense," Woodson said. "You have young receivers. You have a young running back. ... I think to let those guys grow together and to have chemistry together on the field is really going to help this football team later in the year."
Then from Roethlisberger:
"I don't think Mitch is under any delusion he's going to win the job back. I don't think it happens like that. Even if Kenny goes on this bad streak of playing really bad football for like four, five, six weeks, I don't think they're ever going to pull him out. I think that's too hard to see-saw or roller coaster ride with the two quarterbacks."
Roethlisberger probably is right.
Still, I can't wait to see what happens next. This quarterback story is hardly finished. Nothing will surprise me.
Rudolph as the starter for a game?
Not even that.
