Is Kenny Pickett the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Long-Term Answer at Quarterback?

Going into the 2022 offseason the Pittsburgh Steelers’ main goal was to find someone to replace Ben Roethlisberger. The team addressed this need in both free agency and in the 2022 NFL Draft. They first signed Mitch Trubisky to a two-year deal, then drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round.

At the start of the season, Mitch Trubisky was named the starter but that only lasted three games before Kenny Pickett took over. In his first few starts of the season, Pickett struggled, like most quarterbacks do, throwing eight interceptions in his first five games of the year compared to just two touchdown passes.

This week we saw Pickett knocked out of the Ravens game, but before that he looked like a first-round pick. His best game of the year probably came against the Indianapolis Colts when he completed 71% of his passes while throwing for 174 yards. However, the question still remains if Pickett shows the talent to be the long-term answer at the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When studying Pickett, the first thing that stands out is his ability to make plays when things break down. In this area, he has hurt teams consistently by throwing on the run, escaping the pocket, and keeping his eyes downfield to find his receivers wide open. Along with escaping out of the pocket when his protection breaks down, the Steelers also take advantage of his playmaking ability by sprinting him out of the pocket and giving him the option to hit his receiver or tuck the ball to pick up yards.

Another positive with Kenny Pickett is his leadership ability. He shows the ability to command his team, which is impressive, especially for a rookie. He does this by taking command of the huddle, coaching up his teammates, and not being afraid to speak up when things are not going the way they should. His leadership also shows up on the field in the way that he keeps a calm head when in pressure situations.

While there are plenty of positives that point to Pickett being a high-quality NFL starter there are some concerns as well. The first concern is his lack of accuracy. This season he has completed under 60% of his passes in two games and his strike point on his passes leaves a lot to be desired.

One concern about his passes outside the number is that he doesn’t open his hips enough when throwing, which leads to the ball being behind his receiver. He also lacks the accuracy on the deep ball, you would like to see from a high-quality NFL starter. One classic example of this came in the second quarter of the Cincinnati game when he missed George Pickens who didn’t have a defender within five yards of him.

Along with missing his share of passes this year, he also lacks elite arm strength. This is evident by how many times his receivers have to wait for his deep ball or even come back to make the reception at times. Part of the problem Pickett has in this area is his footwork. At times, Pickett will not step into his throws or get his hips into the throw which forces him to throw with all arm.

When looking to the future, one thing the Pittsburgh Steelers could do to help Pickett is to improve their offensive line. Pickett has been under consistent pressure this season, especially in the early part of the season. While the offensive line has looked better recently, they would still be wise to upgrade the group early in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Overall, it is too early to make a judgment on Kenny Pickett’s viability as the long-term answer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. On one hand, he shows the moxie, toughness, and improved play to give Steelers’ fans hope. However, he will need to become a much more accurate passer in order to be a high-level NFL starting quarterback.