Pittsburgh Steelers second-year quarterback, Kenny Pickett, has a lot of pressure on his shoulders as he enters his first training camp as the team's starting signal-caller. Members of the media have not been shy when it comes to disparaging Pickett; however, members of the Steelers organization continue to praise the quarterback for his growth as both a leader and a player since last season. Many players and other members of the organization recently told The Athletic and Mark Kaboly how they feel about Pickett, discussing his leadership, play style, and what they need from him on the field this year.
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Steelers QB Kenny Pickett taking the field at Acrisure Stadium.
Praise For Pickett From Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Steelers Head Coach, Mike Tomlin, had praise for Pickett in the way he carries himself off of the field, and the qualities he possesses that make him successful as both a quarterback and a leader that leads to him earning respect from his teammates. Maybe Tomlin didn't see these qualities in Pickett at this time last year, and that is why he was buried in the depth chart during the preseason behind Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
"Kenny is hard-working and no-nonsense and a legitimate humble dude, and that's what is attractive from a teammate perspective. He is thoughtful and considerate to others, and that's attractive."
Pickett's no-nonsense mindset was on display for fans as we saw many videos of him gathering all of his pass catchers and having private workouts down in Florida. He has also been working with his own personal throwing coach throughout this offseason, and videos have also been posted from these throwing sessions. He even made an appearance and put on quite a show by winning MVP at Cam Heyward's charity softball game. His selflessness and thoughtfulness has not gone unnoticed by the team, and it's something Tomlin is expecting to see on the field.
"He needs to be what we need him to be, I know that he's preparing with that mindset, and I like his approach and his demeanor in that regard, but I think whether you're talking about guys like quarterbacks or guys like me as a head coach, we need to be what our team needs us to be."
Pickett has displayed his character off of the field, so most can assume whatever the team needs from him on the field is what we will get. Whether that is needing Pickett to use his legs to make plays or his arm to make throws, or trusting guys like Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to run the ball down the opposing team's throats, Pickett will do whatever it is the team needs to help win games.
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Steelers' Kenny Pickett and Mike Tomlin.
It was not just the coaching staff that had glowing things to say about Pickett on the first day the players were in Latrobe. Many players had great things to say about their quarterback, one of which being future Hall of Famer, Patrick Peterson. This will be Peterson's first season being on the same team as Pickett, as the Steelers just signed him back in March. Despite never playing together, Peterson had to admit he was a fan of Pickett from a distance last season.
"Watching him last year as a fan from afar, coming into this year, you could tell he's gained so much confidence. You can tell that he has the grasp of his personnel on his side of the ball, and he understands his role, which is to put the ball where it needs to be, don't turn over the ball and just keep us in the game."
Peterson mentioned the importance of not turning the ball over, which is something Pickett struggled with in his first couple of games. Pickett threw three interceptions in the first game he appeared in, and then threw three interceptions again in a close loss to the Miami Dolphins. As the season progressed, so did Pickett and it can be expected that he will be more protective of the ball this season and see more success on the field.
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Steelers CB Patrick Peterson
Pickett is coming off of his first full offseason in the NFL, and he knows he is the starting quarterback entering the 2023 season. He has been preparing by working with his receivers since the team's season concluded and is focused on coming back as a better player and leader, which hopefully leads to more success for the Steelers this upcoming season.
What do you expect to see out of Pickett in 2023, Steeler Nation? Let us know in the comments below!
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