Steelers' Kenny Pickett Admits He's Not Bitter About Mason Rudolph Seizing His Opportunity As QB1

The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to turn to Mason Rudolph with the season on the line, and so far, the bet is paying off. The veteran replaced Mitch Trubisky at the end of a blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts, then helped the team reel off a pair of wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks to keep the team's playoff hopes alive heading into a final showdown in Week 18 with the Baltimore Ravens. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin clarified he will stick with the hot hand. 

Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, who had been number one on the depth chart since the start of the training camp, told the media in advance of the team's game in Seattle that he was ready to go and just needed to have clearance from coaches and the medical staff to be able to play. He was made inactive for the game. On Tuesday morning, Pickett addressed why he didn't dress against the Seahawks and tried to clear the air about the rumors that he didn't want to be the backup.

Pickett expressed via comments posted on X by The Athletic's Mike DeFabo that he's fully supportive of Rudolph as he takes his first spin as a starting quarterback since he stepped in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger in the 2019 season.

"One man's misfortune is another man’s opportunity," Pickett said. "Mason played well when he got in there. I have a ton of respect for Mason and everything that he’s done and what our team has been doing. My job now that I'm back fully healthy is to be the backup."

Pickett had been sidelined by an ankle injury suffered against the Arizona Cardinals when he tried to make a run for the end zone, but was stopped short. Former NFL Head Coach Chuck Pagano said on The Pat McAfee Show before the Seahawks game that Pickett shouldn't lose his job due to injury. 

While it might look like he has in some ways, Rudolph has helped the offense to two of its best performances of the season in his two wins. He's helped George Pickens become a focal point of the offense with his deep ball and aided the young pass-catcher in trying to reestablish his image after he was the lightning rod for some controversy about his effort earlier in the campaign.  

Steelers' Pickett Still Wishes He Was Playing With The Season On The Line

After a rough 3-7 start to the 2022 season, the team started to turn things around. In key games against the Las Vegas Raiders, Ravens, and Cleveland Browns, Pickett rose to the occasion and helped the team claw back to 9-7.

Pickett hasn't had the most impressive statistics in his young career, but he displayed a clutch gene down the stretch in 2022 to help the team stay in the AFC playoff race until the very end. In a very similar situation now, in 2023, it will be up to Rudolph to keep the Steelers alive. The 25-year-old told the media via DeFabo that he wants to be the guy with the season on the line. 

"As a competitor, you want the ball," he said. "I want the ball in the most crucial situations of the game. I want the ball in the biggest games of the season. This is what you work for. This is what you do."

It's understandable to want to be the guy in these moments that could define the season. While Pittsburgh will need some help to claw their way back to the postseason, getting the job done on Saturday afternoon against the Ravens is the first step. Pickett seems to have a good grasp on his role as the backup and will support Rudolph in the ways that the veteran has done for him in his two seasons in Pittsburgh. 

Don't bother getting ahead and wondering who starts a playoff game because Tomlin won't deal in hypotheticals. Beat Baltimore and then let another Pittsburgh quarterback controversy begin.        

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