Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett has his work cut out for him this off-season. Despite being the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he won't be handed the starting quarterback job. In fact, he doesn't even have the backup position locked up. He handled third-team reps in OTAs, behind Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
We've seen plenty of OTA and workout videos from Pickett throughout the off-season. The typical off-season tradition, as we wait until football season starts. Pickett's QB coach, Tony Racioppi, posted this toss from the rookie on Thursday:
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett working Gun 3 play low then reset with shoulder tilt to Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth running Dover Route catching Depth/Angle/Speed to judge tempo/trajectory. @TEST_Football @kennypickett10 @pat_fry5 @steelers #steelers #nfl pic.twitter.com/0GMbXrqNtB
— Tony Racioppi (@Tonyrazz03) July 7, 2022
Not too much to look into, it's just a simple toss without any defenders and without pads. You will notice though, that's Steelers tight end, Pat Freiermuth on the receiving end of Pickett's throw. Freiermuth is seen as a breakout candidate in year two, as he looks to improve upon his already-impressive rookie season.
The tight end was able to catch 60 of his 79 targets last season, the epitome of having sure hands. That was seen as his strength coming out of Penn State, and it held true in his rookie season. Now, he looks to be that same security blanket for either Pickett or Trubisky, whoever starts at QB.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end, Pat Freiermuth (#88) and Pittsburgh Steelers Center, Kendrick Green (#53) practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex during the 2022 Minicamp on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (Abigail Dean/ Pittsburgh Steelers)
Fellow clients of Racioppi, Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks Trace McSorley and Jarrett Guarantano, were also there to throw it around. Miami Dolphins tight end, Mike Gesicki was on the receiving end of McSorley's passes. Gesicki and Freiermuth were both tight ends at Penn State, where they caught passes from the former Baltimore Ravens QB, McSorley.
Again, not too much to look into, but it's interesting to see a potential connection being built between Pickett and Freiermuth. One can only hope so, as those two look to be building blocks of the future for the Steelers offense. Of course, Pickett has to take over the QB job first.
What are your guys' predictions for the Pickett-Freiermuth connection? How many games will the rookie start at QB? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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