ESPN Hesitant To Accept Steelers' Kenny Pickett As Long-term Solution

The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to have an uphill climb ahead of them following the retirement of future Hall of Famer, Ben Roethlisberger, especially when many draft experts were calling the 2022 quarterback draft class one of the weaker groups in recent memory. The expectation of many was that if the Steelers did select a quarterback early, the chance of finding the next franchise quarterback was low, with the majority seeing Pittsburgh taking Malik Willis out of Liberty. 

Going into the 2023 season, we all know how that turned out with Kenny Pickett being selected 20th overall, helping will the Steelers to a 7-2 record to close out 2022 at 9-8, and the rookie quarterback securing his place both on the team and in the hearts of Steelers' fans everywhere. However, it seems ESPN has maintained some of that pre-draft skepticism.

Steelers Find Fresh Doubt With Latest ESPN Perspective

You would be hard-pressed to find many fans in Pittsburgh who don't feel confident in Pickett's ability to not just handle the game, but command it, especially when the game is on the line. While he may not have dazzled in the statistics department (7 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and 2,404 yards passing), he made big plays in high-octane, pressure-filled moments that defined his rookie season.

Despite Pickett making a real impact on the NFL and exceeding expectations throughout his first season, Dan Graziano, National NFL Insider for ESPN, is holding back on anointing the Pittsburgh quarterback as the unequivocal answer for the franchise's future.

Graziano went through all 32 NFL teams in his article on Thursday, focusing on the quarterback situation and what each fan base should be thinking about going into the 2023 season. While one could expect the article to explore the next steps for Pickett as he matures into the starting role, or how the retooled offense would be a boost for the young quarterback, Graziano saw the situation in a very different light.

Though the NFL insider opened by admitting the impressive team effort that secured Mike Tomlin's record for never having a losing season, he quickly pivoted to the statistical results from Pickett's late-season run and how the win-loss record blurs the reality of the rookie's performance.

"He wasn't particularly dazzling during this stretch -- a 59.4 completion percentage and just five touchdown passes over that stretch aren't the kinds of numbers that get them to bust out the chisels in Canton."

Every fan in Pittsburgh who watched the 2022 season knows full well that looking at the games on paper only told a slim fraction of the real story. It is easy - and possibly lazy - to let the statistics lead the narrative. Pickett didn't throw for over 5,000 yards like Patrick Mahomes or tally 35 touchdown passes like both Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, but the progress he made week-to-week was enough to set the doubts to rest and allow the Steelers' fan base to breathe easy going into 2023. However, even when Graziano tried to throw some praise Pickett's way, it comes across as almost satirical in tone.

"But it would be silly to say he didn't show progress as the season went on," Graziano mentions.

Steelers Collecting Bulletin Board Material For 2023

One would think that anyone who professionally covers the NFL would have to give credit where it is due for the improvements made across the board by the Steelers this offseason. From the offensive line upgrades (Isaac Seumalo and Broderick Jones), to the drastically different and bigger cornerback group (Patrick Peterson, Joey Porter Jr., and Corey Trice Jr.), the options for which areas of the team would end up benefitting Pickett's sophomore campaign seem plentiful and yet Graziano went out of his way to cherry pick the elements of the offseason that didn't impress or improve so much as create a lateral move.

"They didn't change coordinators -- Matt Canada is returning -- and the big addition to the receiving corps was a 30-year-old Allen Robinson, who has caught a total of 71 passes over the past two years."

While both are true and did happen during the offseason, they were hardly the highlights of a consistent, focused strategy brought by the Pittsburgh front office trio of Tomlin, Andy Weidl, and Omar Khan. If that was all it took to examine the state of a team, one could just as easily say that the Kansas City Chiefs are in trouble because they lost premier offensive lineman, Orlando Brown Jr. to the Cincinnati Bengals, thus opening Mahomes to possible protection issues. On the face of it, yes, the loss of Brown seems like a heavy blow, but only until you continue down the timeline where the Chiefs brought in two offensive linemen as replacements in Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor.

It helps to let the spotlight shine on the whole story.

Steelers Shutting Out External Noise

It isn't going to shake Pickett's confidence by telling him that an NFL insider wasn't impressed by his progress in 2022, especially when the research into the reasons hardly scratches the surface. The Steelers know the kind of player they have in Pickett, and they don't need anyone outside the locker room to pat them on the back and reassure them, especially considering that the highest praise Graziano could offer was to shrug and give a dim bit of hope for the Steelers to even maintain their 2022 record.

"So it might be that the Steelers aren't in position this year to figure out whether Pickett is the long-term answer. But if they continue to see the kind of tangible progress he showed in the second half of his rookie season, that'll at least be something."

It's going to be a wonderful thing when Pickett begins proving everyone wrong - Graziano included. After all, when the bar is set at "something," it's a safe bet the Steelers can beat it.

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