The Pittsburgh Steelers will begin the game with Mitch Trubisky as their starting quarterback against the New England Patriots.

Following the Steelers' 24-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Head Coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Trubisky will continue to step in for the injured starter, Kenny Pickett, who is almost certain to be sidelined this week.

Pickett sustained a significant right ankle injury during the latter part of the first half against the Cardinals, which may necessitate surgery and is likely to keep him out for several weeks.

This marks the third occasion this season that Trubisky has taken the field in place of Pickett. He previously filled in when Pickett suffered a knee injury in Week 4 against the Houston Texans and again in Week 9 when Pickett sustained a rib injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

So far this season, Trubisky has completed 29 of 49 pass attempts (59%) for 273 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt. He has thrown two touchdowns, two interceptions, and holds a passer rating of 71.2. Additionally, he has been sacked twice and lost one fumble.

Although the Steelers have faced defeats in all three games in which Trubisky replaced Pickett, it's worth noting that they were trailing in each of those contests when Trubisky took over. Tomlin expressed his confidence in the veteran backup and stated, "We'll stick with Mitch if Kenny can't play."

The Steelers' only other alternative to Trubisky is their third-string quarterback, Mason Rudolph. While Rudolph has been designated as the emergency third quarterback for every game this season, he has not seen any game action since the preseason and has had limited opportunities to work with the Steelers' offense during practices.

Trubisky was initially signed in 2022 to serve as the Steelers' starting quarterback before Pickett took over. He has appeared in nine games and made five starts for the Steelers, achieving a 2-3 record as a starter.