Steelers' Kenny Pickett Has The Opportunity In 2023 To Compare Directly To Bills' Dynamic Quarterback Josh Allen

It's no secret that Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback, Kenny Pickett had an up and down first season in the NFL. His rookie campaign started off with him as the second-string signal-caller behind veteran, Mitch Trubisky. Pickett took over the starting duties in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills after replacing Trubisky at halftime a week prior against the New York Jets. He had a front row seat to star quarterback, Josh Allen throwing for 424 yards and four touchdowns. Buffalo routed Pittsburgh and won the game 38-3. Steelers' fans should be hopeful that Pickett was taking notes throughout the contest.

It has rarely been talked about how similar both Pickett and Allen's rookie seasons were. The Bills' signal-caller and his first year has been put in the rearview because he has blossomed into one of the league's best since his second season in 2019. Now that Pickett is entering year two, it is completely possible that he follows in the footsteps of Allen and becomes one of NFL's top young quarterbacks moving forward.

Allen started 11 games during his rookie campaign in 2018. He compiled a 5-6 record and only threw for 10 touchdowns while tossing 12 interceptions. The former 7th overall pick had Bills Mafia a bit concerned that the team had selected the wrong quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft. Let's take a look at just how alike his first year was compared to Pickett's.

The Steelers' 2022 first-round pick started 12 games and finished with a record of 7-5. He almost led Pittsburgh to a playoff berth after a late-season surge. The team fell just short and Pickett ended the year with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also had a much better completion percentage (63%) than Allen did in his first season (52.8%).

Fast forward to Allen's sophomore season in 2019, his completion percentage was still not great at 58.8%, but he completely turned around his touchdown to interception ratio as he threw for 20 scores and only turned the ball over nine times through the air. The Bills went 10-6 and got into the playoffs behind Allen, who threw for 1,000 more yards than his rookie year.

This needs to be the expectation for Pickett in 2023. The team will go as far as he takes them. He has a strong defense on the other side of the ball and weapons all over the place on offense. The best case scenario for the Steelers is Pickett's numbers comparing similarly or better to Allen's in 2019. Sophomore quarterbacks typically make big jumps and future Hall of Famer, Ben Roethlisberger was even able to capture a Super Bowl Title in year two.

The AFC is loaded with superstars at the quarterback position. No one needs to ask Pickett to be in the MVP consideration in 2023, but Allen came in second in MVP voting in his third year. This would be a great track for Pickett to be on, but it all starts with him being vastly improved from 2022. We also can't ignore one other factor that needs to get better in 2023.

Second-Year Success For Steelers Pickett Could Rely On Matt Canada

Former Bills' offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, who is now the Head Coach of the New York Giants, was Allen's play-caller for the first four seasons of his career and played a major role in his growth. Matt Canada is on the hot seat entering 2023 season and his play-calling may be one of the main reasons for Pickett's success or demise.

If Pickett can lean on his defense while improving each week, he could be on track to be a top 10 quarterback in the league entering his third season in 2024. Following the Allen approach could hint at the fact that the Steelers have officially found their next franchise quarterback.

Do you think Pickett has what it takes to replicating Allen's second season in the NFL? Let us know in the comments below!

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