Former Steelers Quarterback Kenny Pickett Receives Some Blame For Big Issue Plaguing The NFL

The Pittsburgh Steelers secured a big win during Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season as they took down the Cincinnati Bengals thanks to an offensive explosion from Russell Wilson and company. Wilson's performance was a big storyline from the weekend's games, but no storyline was bigger than the dirty hit that was delivered on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars were playing the Houston Texans, and Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair delivered a gruesome hit on Lawrence as he slid. The two teams began to fight, and Lawrence exited the game and was later placed on Injured Reserve.

Lawrence is likely done for the remainder of the year after this hit, and Al-Shaair received a three-game suspension from the league. The suspension was likely because of the hit, and the way Al-Shaair reacted afterwards as he fought multiple members of the Jaguars on the field. 

The hit is clearly dirty and was easily avoidable, but the play has stirred up some debate. Some people of the media believe that quarterbacks are waiting too late to slide, or even trying to trick defenders by pretending to slide or go out of bounds. The slide is supposed to protect quarterbacks when they take off with the football, but some quarterbacks have abused it. In this instance, the play was dirty no matter what, but there is something to be said about quarterbacks tricking defenders with the timing of their slides.

The Steelers selected Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and the quarterback was a big star during his college days at Pittsburgh. One play that made Pickett a popular name in the college football universe was when he utilized a fake slide during the ACC Championship that resulted in a 58-yard touchdown. Former quarterback Robert Griffin III went on Pardon My Take on Friday, and he discussed the controversy surrounding the quarterback slide.

"My belief is yes, sliding is a mechanism to protect the quarterback. You don't take sliding out of the game," Griffin said. "But I can also understand from a defensive side, why they get mad when Patrick Mahomes does a fake slide, or when Kenny Pickett had the infamous fake slide in college that I was on the call for. I thought it was awesome. But from a defense's perspective, they're saying, 'Well I'm not supposed to hit the guy.' I don't think there's a perfect solution to it."

The quarterback slide puts a defender in a difficult position. If they hit the quarterback while they slide, they will be penalized, but if they don't do anything, a quarterback can gain extra yards or break out for a big play like Pickett did during the ACC Championship Game.

It is plays like these that make life hard for a defender. Quarterbacks are already protected so much by the different rules the NFL implements, so there needs to be some solution to plays where a quarterback attempts to give themselves up. A possible solution can be a penalty on the quarterback when they fake slide, or when a guy like Patrick Mahomes pretends to go out of bounds, but then stays in the field of play to gain extra yardage.

Steelers Finally Found Good Quarterback Play After Parting Ways With Kenny Pickett

Pickett's time in Pittsburgh didn't last long after the quarterback was drafted in 2022. He was the starting quarterback for the better part of two seasons, but he struggled a lot and never quite found his stride. The Steelers traded the quarterback during the 2024 offseason after the organization signed Wilson, which has turned out to be the right move. Wilson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league ever since becoming the starter, and it looks like the veteran has carved out a future for himself in the black and gold.

What do you think about Pickett being a part of the issue with quarterbacks giving themselves up? Let us know in the comments below!

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