Steelers' Kenny Pickett on being third-string QB: 'I didn’t think I was going to walk in and be the 1'

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in the early days of a new era following the retirement of future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh signed former Chicago Bears starter and Buffalo Bills backup Mitchell Trubisky in March presumably to replace Roethlisberger but then used the 20th overall pick of this year's NFL Draft to acquire Pittsburgh Panthers star Kenny Pickett. 

Shortly after the Steelers kept Pickett in Pennsylvania, head coach Mike Tomlin raised eyes when he declared that the rookie "certainly has a chance" to win the starting job this summer. However, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reported Tuesday that Pickett is currently serving as the third-string signal-caller for organized team activities. 

"I didn’t think I was going to walk in and be the 1," Pickett remarked about his current place on the depth chart. "It’s kind of what I was expecting, just come in here and earn everything I get." 

Trubisky recently commented that the Steelers didn't give him a heads up about drafting a quarterback in the first round last month but added at that time he wasn't bothered by the club's move. 

"I knew coming into the situation, wherever I was going to go, I would have to come in, compete, earn the trust of my teammates and get back on the field with hard work and my talent and being a leader on this team," Trubisky said. "We didn’t have those (draft) conversations, but I knew it was a possibility wherever I went." 

It appears Trubisky holds at least a slight advantage over Pickett in the upcoming competition ahead of June.