3 reasons Pittsburgh Steelers will disappoint in 2022

1. Change at quarterback

Since 2004, Ben Roethlisberger has been a steady leader for the Steelers offense. He went 13-0 as a rookie, led them to a record of 165-81-1 in 247 career starts, and won two Super Bowls. Simply put, Pittsburgh always had a chance when Big Ben was playing.

Now heading into 2022, their star quarterback is enjoying the first year of his retirement and the Steelers are facing two possible players as his replacement. Rookie Kenny Pickett, who was the only first-round quarterback selected this season, was a star at Pitt and is trying to continue his success in the same city.

Pickett has some questions, most of which centered around his hand size, but he’s got the intangibles to be the face of a franchise — and could develop into a trusted starter. But he might not be ready to do this right away.

The front office knew that any rookie they added might need time before taking over under center, which is why they added a veteran option in free agency before the draft. Mitchell Trubiksy was brought in after spending the 2021 campaign as a reserve in Buffalo.

Before that, he was the starter for the Chicago Bears. Despite posting a 29-21 record during his four years in the Windy City, Trubisky was widely considered a bust due to his inconsistent play.

For Pittsburgh, they now have a battle on their hands and it might not be a smooth transition from a future Hall of Famer to two guys who have serious concerns that need to be answered.