No one works closer to Kenny Pickett on a daily basis than QBs Coach Mike Sullivan. And so there’s no one better to hear from this offseason than Sullivan himself. Former NFL QB and current NFL Network analyst David Carr knows Sullivan well, his QB coach when he played for the New York Giants, and offered a cool insight from Sullivan himself.
Carr joined NFL Total Access Thursday to talk about Pickett’s expectations in Year Two. He told the show he texted Sullivan for the inside scoop and read aloud what Sullivan texted back.
“The kid is a GRINDER,” Carr said, emphasizing that Sullivan put “grinder” in all caps. “Worked his tail off this spring in the weight room meetings, walkthroughs, fundamental drills. On the field, he’s picking up right where he left off in 2022. Seeing improvement in anticipation, ball location, pocket management. Always a cool, confident player but he seems even moreso now that he’s an established starter. He’s no longer a rookie. I’m fired up for 2023.”
They’re similar comments Sullivan made during mandatory minicamp, pointing out the improvements in those areas. Like most rookies, Pickett had a tendency to leave the pocket early, relying on his mobility to extend the play and gain “safe” yards with his legs. He improved there throughout the season but it’s still a key aspect of his game to build upon for his sophomore season.
What isn’t in question is Pickett’s work ethic. It’s one of the key reasons why the Steelers made him the first quarterback selected in the 2022 draft, a fifth-year senior with great maturity and dedication to the game. Pickett began training just two weeks after his rookie season ended. Right now, he’s back at home in New Jersey, days before his wedding, throwing with new WR Allen Robinson II.
That doesn’t guarantee success, but it sets an important foundation to get better. The pressure will be on Pickett to elevate the offense in 2023, getting the Steelers out of the rut of being the 26th-ranked scoring offense last season and 23rd in the red zone. He’s not the only one responsible for their success but he will be the focal point of the team’s season.
In Carr’s view, Pickett is on the path to success.
“Kenny is on track to not only be an established starter,” he said, “but take Pittsburgh where they want to be.”
Perhaps the biggest challenge will be the quarterbacks around him in the AFC and AFC North. The division is filled with established first-round talents in Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Deshaun Watson. Jackson has questions about durability while Watson is entering a key second year with the Cleveland Browns, but Pickett is the 4th-ranked QB in the North by most analysts. The AFC is loaded at the position with elite arms like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen while there’s plenty of young stars in Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence. Aaron Rodgers’ addition to the AFC makes things all the more competitive.
Still, if Pickett can grow and the Steelers’ model of success works — running the ball effectively and avoiding shootouts — Sullivan’s excitement will prove fair.
