For his first NFL start, Kenny Pickett will be tasked with venturing into Highmark Stadium — one of the most hostile environments for visiting teams — and helping the Pittsburgh Steelers snap a three-game losing streak.

No big deal, right?

Coach Mike Tomlin is aware that Bills Mafia will be out in full force and that Pickett’s inaugural start will come against the defending AFC East champion, owner of a 3-1 record and preseason favorite to reach the Super Bowl.

Nonetheless, Tomlin opted to start the first-round draft choice from Pitt instead of veteran Mitch Trubisky when the Steelers face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.

“We have no reservations about what Kenny is going to be capable of in terms of schematics,” Tomlin said Tuesday afternoon at his weekly news conference. “Obviously, we have a level of concern about the environment we’re taking him into, but you have a level of concern about any quarterback that you take to that environment versus that defense and that venue.”

The last time the Steelers visited Orchard Park, N.Y., they upset the Bills in the 2021 season opener behind 18-year veteran Ben Roethlisberger. On Sunday, with a 1-3 record, they’ll be trying to get their season back on track against a defense that has allowed the fewest yards and second-fewest points in the NFL.

And they will do it after a changing of the guard at quarterback. After the way Pickett played in the second half of a 24-20 loss against the New York Jets — he completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and rushed for two touchdowns — Tomlin decided against handing the offense back to Trubisky, who spent the 2021 season with the Bills.

“We decided to go to Kenny in hopes that he would provide a spark for us,” Tomlin said. “We felt that not only in terms of our ability to move the ball, but just in terms of energy. Hopefully, that’s a catalyst for us as we try to move forward and change the outcome of some of these games.”

Pickett developed quickly in offseason workouts after the Steelers selected him with the No. 20 overall pick in the NFL Draft. His play in training camp vaulted him ahead of incumbent Mason Rudolph on the depth chart. Then, in his first taste of game experience, he helped lead the Steelers back from a 10-6 halftime deficit with a pair of rushing touchdowns.

“Kenny has shown us maturity at every point throughout this process,” Tomlin said. “He’s older than most rookies, and that obviously was discussed leading up to the draft process. The things that we valued in him from a draft perspective — fluid and quick decision-making, pro-like anticipation and things of that nature — have proven to be true.”

Pickett threw three interceptions in the loss to the Jets, including one on a pass intended Pat Freiermuth that gave the ball back to the Jets with 3 minutes, 34 seconds remaining and led to the winning touchdown.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the perfect half of play,” Tomlin said.

Of course, the first 3 1/2 games weren’t perfect for Trubisky, either. Through four weeks, he completed 59.5% of his passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He led the offense on just four touchdown drives this season before his benching, and he ranks No. 31 in passer rating and last among starting quarterbacks in average yards per completion.

“I don’t want to dump the responsibility of what transpired at Mitch’s feet,” Tomlin said. “That’s not fair to him. He’s played better than that description.”

Trubisky wasn’t happy to be benched for the second half against the Jets, and Tomlin said Trubisky understandably was disappointed when informed he would not be starting this week in his return to Buffalo.

“He’s a competitor. He’s a professional. He’s a hard and diligent worker,” Tomlin said. “He wants to be a positive contributor to our efforts and the reason why we’re successful. It’s something to absorb. We respect it, just in the same ways that we respect some of the things that Mason Rudolph has gone through where he used to be the backup and he’s the number three at this point.”

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