It hasn't all been positive for Pittsburgh Steelers' rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett. After being drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, he was unable to win the starting job in training camp and watched from the sidelines for the first three games. His job changed when he took over for veteran, Mitchell Trubisky at halftime of the team's Week 4 contest against the New York Jets.
Steelers' Kenny Pickett (#8) works with quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan in preparation for the team's Week 13 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. | Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
It didn't get any easier when his first career start came against the Buffalo Bills in hostile territory a week later. No one is claiming he's headed to the Hall of Fame, or even a Pro Bowl just yet, but his progression has been a sigh of relief and provides excitement for the future.
In the first five games of his young career, including the second half appearance versus the Jets, Pickett was 112/195 throwing the football for 962 yards. The most alarming statistics were his touchdowns passes in that span (2) to his interceptions (8). He was being forced to do too much with the football and as anyone would expect a rookie to do at the highest level, was making numerous mistakes that were proven to be costly. The team was 1-4 during that span.
The bye week seemed to really have an effective on every aspect of the offense. Pickett has been mistake-free since Week 11, turning the ball over zero times while he is 79/128 through the air for 835 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are much more similar to the likes of Ben Roethlisberger when he was thrown into the mix during his first season. A rushing attack, led by Najee Harris, has emerged and has absolutely taken the pressure off of Pickett and led to a 3-1 stretch.
It shouldn't be expected for him to put up numbers that guys like Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, among others do. The pivotal part of the remainder of the season will be building momentum heading into the off-season and him coming back in 2023 ready to run a dynamic offense that has the ability to put up more than 24 points a game consistently each week. With a strong run game, the sky could be the limit in the future for the unit.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) breaks a tackle by Cincinnati Bengals free safety Jessie Bates (30) during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 26, 2021 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. | Mark Alberti / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
No one should have expected the organization to write Pickett off if he had an abysmal season. After all, legendary signal-caller, Peyton Manning has the all-time record for interceptions thrown by a rookie back in 1998. Head coach, Mike Tomlin and general manager, Omar Khan didn't just draft him 20th overall because of where he went to college, but rather, he is a 24-year old who already has the poise of a professional quarterback. Since the bye week, he has settled down and while he isn't wowing anyone with numbers, has altered his approach.
One of the biggest keys for a young player, especially at Pickett's position, is having the confidence to get on the field with the best of the best and make plays. We are starting to see a subtle confidence that wasn't necessarily there a month ago. Credit has to be given to offensive coordinator, Matt Canada who has slowed the game down allowing for a dominant rushing attack to lead the way, while giving Pickett a chance to run a more successful offense.
The Steelers now have a relatively easy schedule down the stretch that with a healthy defense, Pickett or Trubisky could handle. That potentially puts them outside of the top 15 in the 2023 draft and it wouldn't be high enough to select one of the top quarterback prospects. Trubisky was looked at as more of a bridge player, while Pickett was drafted to be the long-term answer. The strides he has made the last month or so prove that he is already maturing and becoming a better decision maker.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) participates in the 2022 preseason finale against the Detroit Lions at Acrisure Stadium on August 28th in Pittsburgh, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The season won't end in a rookie quarterback winning the Super Bowl for the first time, but the developmental process is a more important thing to look at, especially after his first few weeks as the starter were a bit concerning. The growth shown to this point along with the change in offensive philosophy and approach is a positive takeaway and as an intellectual first-year player, he is only going to get better going forward.
There are certainly areas to improve, one of the main things being red zone offensive efficiency, but there is no doubt the offensive unit looks different and the rookie is commanding it well while moving the ball down the field. The group had five drives of nine or more plays against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13 and finding another gear the last month of the season to translate drives into more touchdowns will have fans excited for what's to come.
Do you think Pickett is silencing any haters as we head into the December schedule? Let us know in the comments below!
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