Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett, just wrapped up his rookie season. He appeared on teammate Cam Heyward's podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, to discuss his first season. Heyward asked Pickett to describe the relationship he has with several of his teammates.
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Steelers' Pickett on Diontae Johnson
Wide reciever, Diontae Johnson received a lot of media attention, because he did not score even one touchdown this season despite frequently being open. The lack of productivity was an obvious source of frustration for Johnson.
Pickett had nothing but nice things to say about Johnson, however:
"He's a really smart player and he knows how much time he has to get open. He has the best stop-go ability I think I've ever seen. The way he can just put the brakes on at full speed and get in and out of cuts, no matter what DB that we've ever gone against this season."
Pickett said that given the opportunity, out on the field, he is going to throw to Johnson if he can get open. He then spoke about his excitement heading into the next season:
"Our relationship continued to grow and I'm excited to see how it goes into year two. Now that we've had a lot of time together, he's gonna get a lot of looks coming from me."
Steelers' Pickett on George Pickens
Wide receiver, George Pickens, was also a rookie. That gave Pickett and Pickens a lot of time to practice together during preseason. There was definitely a connection between the two and that translated to their ability on the field.
Pickens has become a bit of an internet sensation for the freakish way he is able to catch contested balls. Pickett said that if Pickens isn't able to reel in the ball, then you know the defense must have had an outstanding play.
"He's one of the most athletic players I've ever had a chance to play with. You've seen it, he does some things in practice that are so casual, like an everyday play, but you know you're looking around like, 'That was the best catch I've ever seen.' He had the one versus the Browns and it just seems like if you put it in his zip code, you know he's gonna come down with it," said Pickett.
Photo credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers' Pickett on Najee Harris
Running back Najee Harris just finished his second season with the Steelers. He had a slow start to the season, hampered by a foot injury. However, he built up steam as the season went along and you saw the whole offense improve because of it. Harris is a well-known workaholic. He, like Pickett, is constantly working on refining his craft and that has earned him the respect of his teammates:
"He plays so hard and to see what he kind of goes through on a weekly basis and as the season goes, you know running backs, especially the style of running that he does, to get himself healthy every single week."
Pickett also said that he thinks Harris doesn't get fully appreciated for his role on offense, fans only see him as a running back, but he is also an excellent blocker:
"People only see when he runs the ball, but I see the pass pro[tection]. I watch the tape and I see him going up there and blocking Roquan Smith or these guys that are coming 100 miles an hour through the hole. I have so much respect for him," Pickett said. "He's a staple of our team, 22's gonna be doing it for a long time in the black and gold. I'm excited to be his quarterback moving forward for a long time."
Steelers' Pickett on Derek Watt
Derek Watt is the Steelers jack-of-all-trades fullback. Heyward called him an "unsung hero" of the team. Pickett agreed also mentioning Watt being a critical special teams member:
"He is a short yardage specialist, as Coach T [Tomlin] would say when we need that yard or two, in those crucial moments. We do a good job of designing plays to get D-Watt the ball. We let him use his natural ability of finding holes and getting what we need. I think he's gotten every single one except one throughout the season."
Steelers' Pickett on Connor "Meatball" Heyward
Connor Heyward, jokingly called "Meatball" by his big brother Cam, was also a rookie. Pickett noted that he has seen the younger Heyward, who he also considers a friend, flourish this season and feels like his future is bright:
"I think it's kind of just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what he's going to be able to do. He's a receiver, he's a tight end, and he can be an extra back. I think if we can get him in the backfield, we can do some different things with him and Naj back there. It makes it tough for defense, he could catch the ball out of the backfield. I think he can pass protect if we need him to. He's a player man, he can do whatever you need him to do. I'm excited to you know, play with him for a long time."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It is exciting to know these players have so much respect for each other and that many of them will be back together next season. What do you think about Pickett's comments on the players? Who do you think will return next season and who do you think might be elsewhere? Click to comment below.
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