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Diontae Johnson wants Mason Rudolph at QB, if Kenny Pickett isn’t cleared

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Chris Simms thinks that the Steelers are better at the kind of game the Panthers will want to play against them, and Mike Florio isn't willing to pick against Mike Tomlin with his back against the wall.

Earlier this year, Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky and receiver Diontae Johnson got into a verbal altercation during halftime of a game against the Jets. Johnson is either holding a little bit of a grudge, or what he said on Thursday is a coincidence.

Via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com, Johnson said he wants Mason Rudolph to start at quarterback, if rookie Kenny Pickett isn’t cleared from his second concussion of the year.

“Yeah, I wanna see him play,” Johnson said, according to Pryor. “I know he’s ready to play. I know it’s probably in the back of his mind like, ‘Dang, when I’m going get my chance?’ I feel like this week is it for him. I know he’s gonna do everything it takes to be prepared this week, get ready for Sunday.”

Trubisky threw three interceptions in Sunday’s loss to the Ravens, after Pickett left with a head injury.

Both Trubisky and Rudolph have been getting first-team reps with Pickett in the concussion protocol.

A third-round pick in 2018, Rudolph has appeared in 17 games with 10 starts during his five seasons with the Steelers.