Gerry Dulac Implies Steelers' Kenny Pickett May Not Be The Franchise Quarterback After Horrific Start To 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't necessarily have to take a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft following the retirement of legendary signal-caller, Ben Roethlisberger. Mason Rudolph was returning and Mitchell Trubisky was brought in via free agency. That didn't change the front office's plans, however. Kenny Pickett was available when Pittsburgh's draft clock started ticking in the first round and it didn't take long for the franchise to select the University of Pittsburgh product. He worked his way into being the full-time starter in the first half of his rookie season after replacing Trubisky in a Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets.

He went 7-5 as a starter in 2022, but his stat-line was underwhelming. He threw seven touchdowns and had nine interceptions. While he didn't put up MVP-type numbers by any means, the team as a whole had a very successful stretch to end the year, including going 3-0 in Pickett's final three starts of the season. That was where the hype began to build, but it didn't stop there.

Pickett led what looked to be a dominant offense in the 2023 preseason. It did not go unnoticed that the starting unit scored five touchdowns in five drives. Fast forward to Week 3 of the regular season, though, and that same offense has only found the end zone twice entering their third game. Much of the blame has been placed on Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada, who has been the leader of the group since 2021.

Not all of what has occurred up to this point in 2023 is Canada's fault, though. Sure, the play-calling has been horrendous as everyone has come to expect, but Pickett has not been his best self either. The second-year quarterback is missing relatively easy throws and can't seem to process what's happening on the field in real time. He has looked confused and rather lost out there.

It's not right to count Pickett out just yet. He could be in his own head because he has an incompetent offensive coordinator, but Canada isn't the one out there making the throws. Steelers fans shouldn't be worried as of right now, but if a couple more games pass and Pickett's struggles continue, it may be time to start hitting the panic button.

The Steelers Might Not Have The Future At Quarterback On Their Current Roster

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hosted a fan chat on Wednesday and to no one's surprise, he received a ton of questions directed at Canada and the offensive situation. Someone asked about Head Coach Mike Tomlin and if he will ever get over his loyalty to Canada in order to truly start developing the franchise quarterback in Pickett. Dulac was extremely quick to shut down the notion of Pickett being the face of the organization.

"I'd go easy on that potential franchise QB stuff. Good or bad, it takes more than 14 starts to determine the QB's future."

Maybe in some cases that's true, but Steelers fans knew immediately after Roethlisberger's first 14 games that he was the guy of the future. The Kansas City Chiefs certainly did after Patrick Mahomes won the MVP in his first season as the full-time starter. There are several other countless cases that prove a franchise should know early on if a guy is the future or not. Dulac hinting at the fact that using franchise quarterback and Pickett in the same sentence is improper is very telling.

No one in the Steel City should be overly concerned just yet, but year two for any signal-caller is what really helps to determine if he has the ability to be a long-term solution. Pickett needs to do more than just prove himself in the preseason. It will be imperative going forward to flip the script and it all begins against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3 on Sunday Night Football.

Do you think the Steelers made a mistake drafting Pickett in 2022? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation