Kenny Pickett Is Starting To Show He’s A Franchise Quarterback

It may have taken some time, but Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Kenny Pickett is starting to show he’s a franchise quarterback after all.

The 24-year-old’s stat line wasn’t overly impressive in the Steelers’ 24-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts — 20-of-28 for 174 yards and zero touchdowns — but his poise and ability to manage the game was absolutely instrumental in the team’s come-from-behind win.

Pickett orchestrated the game-winning touchdown drive at the 9:55 mark of the fourth quarter immediately after the Colts took a 17-16 lead over the Steelers late in the third quarter.

During the 11-play, 75-yard drive, Pickett made a number of impressive throws, including a 13-yard pass to George Pickens on a 3rd-and-9 conversion and a 17-yard pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth on a 3rd-and-6 at the Colts’ 20-yard line.

To top it all off, it was Pickett’s leadership and IQ that led to Pittsburgh’s touchdown run at the end of the drive, as Steelers center Mason Cole pointed out following the game.

Via Michael David Smith of NBC Sports:

“That run we scored on, Kenny called it. We were in the timeout, and Kenny said, ‘I want to run this,’” Cole said. “To see that confidence, on third-and-2 on the goal line, is big. It’s good to see, it’s exciting to see. It really showed who he is as a leader, the command he has on the field.”

Pickett spoke of his ability to call plays despite being a rookie quarterback.

“We have a great open communication,” Pickett said. “That was the play I brought up, I felt really confident about it, they felt good about it too so we rolled with it.”

The first-year quarterback has not dazzled with his statistics after taking over as the starter in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills. Pickett actually has just three passing touchdowns compared to eight interceptions for a 73.5 passer rating and 46.1 QB rating. His number of touchdowns ranks 35th in the league, his interception rate (3.0%) is actually the fourth-highest in the NFL and his QB rating is 24th.

But his improvement on a weekly basis can’t go unnoticed.

Over the course of the past three games, Pickett has zero turnovers and the offense has averaged 24.6 points per game after averaging just 11.5 points per game during his first four starts. For perspective, that 24.6 point-per-game average would rank within the top 10 of all teams this season.

And while he’s not dominating on the stat sheet, he’s showing he more than capable of being a franchise quarterback on a team loaded with young offensive talent.

Pickett’s ability to move and extend plays with his legs — his 24.4 rushing yards per game ranks ninth in the league among quarterbacks — has been absolutely instrumental for an offensive line that isn’t elite.

Here’s a play demonstrating his ability to create pass plays by extending them with his legs when the offensive line breaks down.

Pickett may not be Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow, but he’s illustrating why the Steelers made him a first-round draft selection.

“He has that kind of military [mindset], like he’s just laser-focused and he’s so nonemotional, which is great because there are no highs and lows with him,” said Tony Racioppi, Pickett’s longtime quarterbacks coach, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “He’s just so focused on the job and the goal that nothing wavers him, you know, good or bad. That’s the reason he’s going to be a great pro for a long time.”

With Pickett continuing to grow with each passing week, Pittsburgh can comfortably enter next year’s draft without worrying about drafting a quarterback. The 2023 NFL draft is much more loaded with quarterback talent — as many as three quarterbacks could be drafted within the top five selections — than Pickett’s class, where the second quarterback (Malik Willis) wasn’t taken until the third round.

The Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky to enter the 2022 season as the starting quarterback, giving him a two-year, $14 million contract. Trubisky holds a cap hit of over $10.6 million for next year, the ninth-biggest cap hit of any player on the team for the 2023 season.

Pickett’s development allows Pittsburgh to trade Trubisky, save $8 million for the salary cap and move forward with the youngster as the quarterback entering the 2023 season.

Pittsburgh is likely destined for a non-playoff season. At 4-7, it’s also very likely they suffer a losing season for the first time since Mike Tomlin took over back in 2007.

However, Steelers fans are starting to see the reason why the franchise trusted Pickett to be its quarterback in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.

As Pickett closes out his rookie season in Pittsburgh, don’t be surprised if the Steelers round back into form as a playoff contender entering his sophomore season next year.