Entering his second season at the helm of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense, Kenny Pickett should be well-adjusted to the demands of the position in the NFL.
So far throughout Organized Team Activities and mandatory minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Pickett has been turning heads and garnering plenty of attention ahead of an expected Year 2 jump. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada certainly feels good with where his quarterback is at ahead of training camp.
“I think Kenny’s had a good spring. I think, obviously, every day is up and down when you play quarterback. Coach Tomlin says it best: this is football-like, not football. But I think [Pickett] is improving, he’s seeing things, playing fast, getting some time in with the guys,” Canada said to reporters, according to video via 93.7 The Fan’s Jeff Hathhorn. “Doing things he needs to do when you become the starter. Last year he was learning; we obviously had different situations. But I think Kenny is learning, and I’m excited about where he is.”
Pickett, by all accounts, has had a good spring, both with the Steelers throughout OTAs and with his own personal QB coach in Tony Racioppi. Pickett has added weight to better withstand the demands of the game. He’s also worked on his overall accuracy and deep ball abilities, which should really unlock another aspect of his game in 2023 as a full-time starter.
Growth is a major thing for Pickett, and that’s something he’s undergone from last season to where he is at this point. Last year, he was a deer in the headlights, learning on the job and adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NFL game compared to ACC football in college. Now though, with 13 games (12 starts) under his belt, he’s fully adjusted.
Pickett’s teammates have praised his work ethic and commitment to his craft so far during OTAs. Linebacker Elandon Roberts said that Pickett is “light years” ahead of other players his age. Wide receiver Calvin Austin III mentioned that Pickett is setting the example for him and the rest of the team in terms of his commitment to getting better and holding others accountable.
He knows what he’s seeing out there, knows the system very well and is able to play fast and free, not overthinking things or second-guessing himself. That’s a huge part of the progress in a quarterback’s development. Now, it’s about carrying that all over into actual NFL games when the time comes.
Just as Pickett showed progression after the bye last season, he should make another jump in Year Two. He’ll be the starter from the spring instead of partway through the fall with an offense truly built around him instead of one modified on the fly with plenty of bumps along the way. Pickett has committed himself to getting better this offseason, throwing with his teammates in player-run workouts while also showing up to the facility prior to OTAs to get in more work to be prepared for team-run activities.
Couple that with a full year of experience under his belt and it’s fair to expect Pickett to be much further along at this point compared to his rookie season with that experience and development hopefully yielding better results on the football field in 2023.
Though that time remains a few months off, it’s hard to not be happy with where Pickett is at in his development ahead of what should be a big second season for him in 2023.
