Steelers' Kenny Pickett Will "Shut A Lot Of People Up" Heading Into Year 2 According To NFL Insider

The Pittsburgh Steelers regular season is nearing closer and closer and expectations are high for quarterback Kenny Pickett. Pickett is entering his first full season as the starting quarterback for the Steelers and if he is able to continue how he ended last season, the 2023 NFL season could be a fun one for the Steel City. NFL insider Louis Riddick also has high expectations for Pickett. 

During the University of Pittsburgh's 2023 football luncheon, Louis Riddick spoke with the media. He was asked how he thinks Pickett will be able to transition from his first year into his second year and responded by praising Pickett's "football character."

"Talk about football character, personal character, is there a better person than Kenny Pickett?" 

Riddick didn't stop the high praise for Pickett there. He would continue to speak about Pickett, saying that he is still getting better and sharpening his skills.

"He will advance cerebrally, mentally, because that's what happens between year one and two, when you're able to back off and break down your game, and he's [Pickett] has done that." 

We have seen Riddick's statement be nothing short of the truth so far - with Pickett having a passer rating of 158.3, and just throwing two incompletions all preseason. Pickett also led the offense to a touchdown in all five of his drives he played during the preseason. Safe to say, Pickett has done nothing but looked the part, and NFL insiders believe that as well. Riddick would finish his statement by making a powerful, controversial expectation for Pickett. 

"Kenny is going to shut a lot of people up this year." 

Expectations for Pickett have begun to rise after his sharp preseason, and with the regular season right around the corner, Steelers fans should be excited to watch the second year quarterback continue to grow. 

Steelers' Pickett "Wows" With Preseason Performance

With the 2023 preseason now in the rearview mirror for the Steelers, they can finally switch their focus to Week 1 when they take on the San Francisco 49ers at Acrisure Stadium on September 10th. And for fans, excitement is in the air to finally see the Steelers play against a competitive team. Why is excitement in the air? Well it's pretty simple, Pickett. 

During the 2023 preseason, Pickett did nothing but wow fans and even insiders with his play. In their first preseason matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pickett would march the offense down the field with a 10-play, 83-yard touchdown drive. That would be the first team offense's only drive of that game. In their Week 2 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, Pickett would appear in two drives for the offense, and once again they would find themselves in the endzone both times. With the first drive being an 86-yard drive, and the second being a one play 25-yard touchdown pass from Pickett to tight end, Pat Freiermuth. 

Pickett's amazing play didn't put the majority of fans on notice until after the Week 2 performance against the Bills, where both teams were playing their starters. Pickett would then back up his amazing preseason performance with yet another good performance in the preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons. He would once again only appear in two drives, but would take advantage - with the first drive going almost the entire length of the field (92 yards) for a touchdown, and the second drive being a 29-yard drive which ended in another touchdown. In conclusion, Pickett looked the part during the 2023 NFL preseason.

With Pickett looking near perfect so far, the 2023 NFL season should be an exciting one for Pittsburgh. With the offense finally looking like a contender, and the defense only getting stronger, the Steelers could be true Super Bowl contenders in 2023. 

What does Steeler Nation believe? Will Kenny Pickett quiet all doubters in 2023? Or will the doubters prove to be right? Leave your thoughts down below in the comment section!

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