Steelers’ Kenny Pickett aspires to be ‘one of the best’ quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL

The Steelers’ quarterback position for 2023 was confirmed after Pickett’s impressive performance. Tomlin, in his end-of-year press conference, admitted that Pickett is the successor to Ben Roethlisberger, although he dislikes the phrase “franchise quarterback.”

Tomlin expressed uncertainty about the definition of a “franchise quarterback,” stating that while their QB1 is their starting quarterback, the term carries a lot of unnecessary weight and not everyone truly possesses one. He clarified that their starting quarterback holds the responsibilities of the position, but refrained from labeling him with the term “franchise quarterback.”Pickett is determined to establish himself as a key player for the Steelers in the upcoming years. He is willing to put in the necessary effort to achieve this goal, as evidenced by the significant amount of time he spent at the team’s facility during the 2022 season.

Pickett stated that he arrived quite early and departed quite late. He mentioned that it was a bit disheartening to arrive before dawn and leave after dark, but he made sure to take vitamin D. Pickett did not keep track of the exact hours he spent preparing, but instead focused on ensuring that he felt satisfied with his work and confident for the upcoming game before leaving the building.

At the beginning of the season for the Steelers, Pickett was the third quarterback behind Trubisky and Rudolph who were the veterans. However, before the regular season started, Pickett was promoted to the No. 2 position on the depth chart. He didn’t play in the first three games of the season and was on the sidelines. But during the Week 4 game against the Jets, he was given the chance to play and was called into action at halftime.

Pickett had an immediate impact on Pittsburgh’s offense when he stepped onto the field. He managed to score two touchdowns against the Jets, but his costly interception allowed New York to come back and win by four points. Despite throwing for 327 yards against Buffalo the following week, the Steelers were defeated by a score of 38-3. Although Pickett had a decent showing in Miami the next week, a late interception marred his otherwise solid performance. Unfortunately, there weren’t many positives to take away from the Steelers’ Week 8 loss to the Eagles, as Pickett was sacked six times in a blowout defeat that left the team with a 2-6 record heading into their bye week.

The Steelers, along with their rookie quarterback, seemed like an entirely new squad following their Week 9 break. Pittsburgh had a record of 7-2 after the bye, and the defense was reinvigorated with T.J. Watt’s comeback. In addition, the defense was able to limit their opponents to under 20 points in seven out of their last eight games. Pickett, who had thrown eight interceptions in his first five games, only threw one interception for the remainder of the season. As the season went on, the offensive line displayed signs of development, and Pickett was able to endure fewer hits.
“We always knew what we were capable of,” Pickett said. “It was good to see it come true in front of our eyes. Just finding ways to win week in and week out, and no one really cares how it gets done, just find a way to get it done.

“That’s what it’s all about getting wins. It was really good to see.”