Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett and his hand size garnered a significant amount of chatter in the weeks and months leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft. Former GM Kevin Colbert and the front office clearly didn't see it as a big issue, as they selected him 20th overall in the first round. That kept Pickett in the city, after he played his college days at the University of Pittsburgh.
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The talk revolving Pickett's relatively small hands hasn't exactly stopped since he got to the NFL. If you haven't heard, Steelers defender Cam Heyward has started up a podcast titled Not Just Football. Heyward's given Pickett crap throughout the off-season for his "small" hands. Of course, he had to first address the quarterback competition in his opening episode. Beyond that though, Heyward did give some true insight into Pickett's hand size:
"This is my locker partner now, like I talk a good game and I like to give people a hard time. I won't say his hands were like really small or anything, he's got average size hands," Heyward said via Not Just Football. "And I didn't think anything of it, he was able to throw the ball, still able to whip it around."
At the NFL Combine, Pickett's hand measured at 8.5 inches, but at Pittsburgh's Pro Day, it measured 8.625 inches. Some say it's not a big deal, some say it is. It won't be a deciding factor for his success in the NFL, but there's seemingly no doubt it'll play a role. Pickett uses gloves on both hands, and that ritual will continue into the pros.
It gives him a better grip on the ball, something that is harder to do with smaller hands. Via The Athletic, a few NFL quarterback coaches considered it a true worry in the pre-draft process. They referenced how big of a concern it can become when the weather gets cold or wet. Michael Vick is a prominent QB that's played with that small of a hand. Heyward re-iterated though that it's not that much of a concern, to him.
"He's got the ball in his hands for a reason. He was able to do it in college. I think it got blown out of proportion. He will be on the show later on, and I will be giving him a hard time then. The dude can still play. He's got a battle for himself, and his hands are going to be the least of his worries. Mitch [Trubisky] and Mason [Rudolph] are going to make it tough on him."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Chris Oladokun, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky participate in phase two of the voluntary off-season workout program, Thursday, May 19, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. | Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Heyward mentions a good point in the fact that Pickett was able to do it in college. Although, that success didn't come until his fifth-year season at Pittsburgh. In his first four seasons across 39 games, Pickett threw for just 39 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. In 2021 alone, he threw for 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions en route to skyrocketing up draft boards. It's worth noting that Pickett didn't begin wearing gloves until a season or two into his college career, which likely played a role in helping his eventual improvement.
It is also worth noting that NFL footballs are just over an inch bigger than the ones used in college. This will provide an adjustment period for Pickett, although he's been using the NFL footballs for months now. The small hands aren't the end of the world, but it gives the rookie less room for error when throwing the ball.
Let us know your thoughts on the Kenny Pickett hand size controversy! What did you think of Heyward's comments? Will it be a concern moving forward?
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