For Pittsburgh Steelers second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, his determination, preparation and overall compete level really causes him to stand out compared to other quarterbacks across the NFL.
Those quarterbacks around the league might be bigger, strong, faster, and flashier, but they can’t quite measure the heart and work ethic that Pickett has.
Veteran cornerback Levi Wallace, who spent the 2022 season seeing Pickett up close and personal, praised the Steelers’ second-year quarterback on Good Morning Football Friday, and compared him to a superstar quarterback in the NFL, one with whom Wallace has plenty of experience.
That quarterback? Buffalo’s Josh Allen.
“I think the first week he was up, I think was probably Buffalo Week. And me and him was sitting next to each other in team meetings. I mean, first row, he is right next to me. I’ve seen him come in and just be hungry and just wanna learn the game. And obviously there’s a transition period when you’re a rookie, but that first week in Buffalo, I’m trying to go home and get some and get some rest, and he wants to stay and watch film and ask me questions about Buffalo’s defense, cause he just wants to win so bad,” Wallace said regarding Pickett, according to video via NFL.com. “He reminds me a lot of Josh [Allen], as much as he’s a competitor, the way he prepares. I mean the guy, he just always wants to keep doing it, right? And if we could be out there for three hours and keep doing reps on offense, I know he would.”
While Pickett certainly wasn’t the biggest, had hand size concerns and was largely considered a one-year wonder coming out of the University of Pittsburgh prior to the 2022 NFL Draft, he has the heart and determination — two things that really can’t be measured. He has the moxie needed at the position overall, and it rubs off on the rest of the team.
Pickett certainly has the “it” factor for the position. He’s as calm, cool, collected and confident late in games on potential game-winning drives as he is on the first series or two of a game. The stakes don’t faze him. Neither do the bright lights nor the overall moment.
Though he’s just 13 games into his career and the numbers don’t look all that great, it certainly feels like the Steelers have the right guy for the job moving forward, based on his leadership, moxie and overall confidence, even in weighty, pressure-packed moments. That compete level is through the roof, too, according to Wallace. And it starts in practice.
“He wants to be the best quarterback in the league. He wants to be the best competitor,” Wallace said. “He never wants to lose. I mean, we open up every single day with seven shots and he’s so competitive.”
That’s who Pickett is. Quite honestly, that’s the trait that has made some of the greatest quarterbacks ever who they were. While that doesn’t mean Pickett is going to be up there with the likes of the Tom Bradys, Peyton Mannings, Drew Brees’ and more, when his career is all said and done, he has that all-important want-to and compete factor that will drive him to being the very best he can possibly be.
