Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett appeared on Not Just Football during Cameron Heyward's draft special. During his appearance on the show, Pickett talked about his offseason training regiment, why he decided to gain muscle for the upcoming season and what he has done to prepare his body for playoff football.
Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Steelers starting quarterback Kenny Pickett (#8) prepares to take a snap at Acrisure Stadium in his first regular season action against the New York Jets.
Pickett is entering his sophomore year in Pittsburgh after replacing Mitchell Trubisky a quarter of the way through the 2022 season. Pickett did nothing but improve each game during his rookie season after having a rocky start in Pittsburgh and some injuries. When joining Heyward on his show, Kenny was asked a few questions about his draft night, and how he prepared for the upcoming season:
"Well Kenny obviously we heard you put on 15 pounds of muscle this offseason, what was the reasoning for that and what did you do to achieve it?" Hayden Walsh asked.
Pickett responded:
"From like training for the draft and you want to be lean you want to run well and you have all the testing, you know I went in at like 218 (pounds) and finished at like 213 (pounds) and that was just a little too light. You know it's a long season and I want to be physically ready to play in February. So going to camp at like 225-ish (pounds) should be good," Pickett said.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett is a big reason why fans are optimistic about the team in 2023 and beyond.
Heyward then asks:
"So with that velocity, we are excepting quicker passes, right?"
Pickett was very short and to the point:
"Uh hopefully all of the above. Quicker passes, I think I can run faster, I think I am checking all the boxes." Picket said.
Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Kenny Pickett and Mason Cole
Pickett ended the season on a high note, winning his last four full games as the Steelers' starter. He seems to be taking steps to make sure his body is ready for the upcoming season. The road to Super Bowls can be tough, and with the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft already completed, the Steelers taking Broderick Jones and Darnell Wright shows they are looking to add some extra blocking help for Pickett so he can make strides in the right direction.
With Pickett talking about the improvements to his arm and having more muscle heading into the new season, it seems he also believes the team is taking those strides to play meaningful games in January and February. The Steelers barely missed the playoffs in 2022 because of a Miami Dolphins win against the New York Jets In Week 18. This should have left the team and the fans with a positive mindset for the 2023.
Steelers.com
Kenny Pickett speaks to the press following the Steelers' win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Steelers Will Rely On Pickett To Remain Healthy
In a quarterback-heavy AFC, a durable signal-caller is necessary to make strides and guide this team in the right direction. Pickett and his constant improvements have shown he is capable of leading this team into the future, but one of the things he has to do is stay healthy.
With Pickett missing a few games in 2022, his ability and foresight to add the extra muscle to have his body withstand punishments is something that Steeler fans should be happy with heading into the 2023 season.
What do you think about Pickett's offseason training? Do you think the Steelers are ready to make that jump? Let us know in the comments below.
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