The Pittsburgh Steelers got absolutely blown out in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. It was ugly from start to finish and the 30-6 defeat should go down as one of the worst in Mike Tomlin's tenure as the franchise's head coach. To make matters worse, he called a timeout on a fourth and one and proceeded to keep his field goal unit on the sideline while the offense trotted out. They had been effectively running the football, but Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada called a shotgun pass and it resulted in a turnover-on-downs and Kenny Pickett going down with what looked to be a serious knee injury.
Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett drops back to pass during 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / Steeler Nation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers' Pickett Not Believed To Have Suffered Season-Ending Injury
Many feared for the worst as he went down and grabbed immediately at his left knee. Speculation on X (formerly known as Twitter) was all over the place and fans anxiously are awaiting the results of Pickett's MRI. According to reliable NFL insider, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the ailment isn't expected to keep the quarterback out long-term.
From @GMFB: #Steelers QB Kenny Pickett will miss some time, but his knee injury is not believed to be season-ending; #Bengals TE Tee Higgins has a rib fracture; #Giants RB Saquon Barkley is doubtful for tonight. pic.twitter.com/HOGnQqFYoZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 2, 2023
He told the Good Morning Football crew that there is a strong belief inside the Steelers organization that Pickett is not expected to be out for the remainder of the 2023 season.
"From my understanding, the belief is this is not a season-ending situation for Kenny Pickett. I would expect him to miss some time, but not season-ending. As far as what they are looking at, it's not the ACL, but does seem like there's concern about the MCL, potentially the meniscus. He should be back at some point relatively soon."
Steelers fans don't want to see their young starting quarterback miss any time, but it is encouraging news that Rapoport is reporting that the injury is not going to hold him out for several months.
Steelers quarterbacks, Mitch Trubisky (#10) and Kenny Pickett (#8) warm up on the field at Acrisure Stadium prior to a 2022 regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
There has to be some cause for concern here due to Pickett's health troubles in his first two NFL seasons. He was in the concussion protocol twice during his rookie season in 2022 and now has suffered a relatively serious injury to his knee early on in his second professional season. The Steelers offensive line is not doing him any favors, and neither is the play-caller.
One of the main reasons the Steelers not only brought back veteran Mitch Trubisky, but extended his contract, was for situations like these. Trubisky isn't going to magically turn the offense into a point-scoring machine, but he has what it takes to lead this team to victory if he has to step up in Pickett's absence. It won't be an easy first test of 2023 for him, though.
Pittsburgh will host the Baltimore Ravens for a crucial divisional matchup in Week 5. If the Steelers can pull off the upset, they will hop back up into the top spot in the AFC North and sit at 2-0 in the division. No excuses can be made moving forward and the offense will need to rally behind Trubisky if Pickett is unable to go.
Steelers quarterback, Mitch Trubisky (#10) prepares to take a snap during a 2022 regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Do you think this injury could have been avoided on the short fourth down attempt? Let us know in the comments below!
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