Entering his second season in the NFL and nearing the completion of his first full offseason as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kenny Pickett is impressing veterans throughout the roster for his leadership and ownership of the offense.
Veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II is the latest to be rather impressed with Pickett’s growth and overall command of the offense as a second-year player.
Co-hosting “The Opening Drive” Friday morning on SiriusXM with Solomon Wilcots, Robinson praised Pickett for the command of the offense he’s shown so early in his career, and the overall leadership he displays day after day as the franchise quarterback of the Black and Gold.
“For me, coming in seeing Kenny now going into his second season, man, the command that he has for a second-year player is awesome,” Robinson said to Wilcots, according to audio via SiriusXM.com.“You know, I personally feel like you don’t get a chance to see guys that young with a command that strong, as far as leading us, getting guys together, throwing after watching film. Across the board, he’s very experienced and it’s been fun to see, and it’s been fun to be a part of.”
Since coming into the NFL, Pickett has established himself within the Steelers organization as a hard worker, one that will go the extra mile to ensure he’s fully prepared for games from a film study perspective, and is constantly putting in work throughout the offseason, aiming to get extra throws in with his pass catchers to build rapport ahead of the season.
Pickett was instrumental in organizing a team throwing session in Miami earlier in the offseason, where names like backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, wide receivers Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and Calvin Austin III and tight end Connor Heyward were in attendance, putting in the work away from the spotlight to try and improve.
That work continued in the offseason once Robinson was acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Pickett and Robinson threw together in New Jersey shortly after the conclusion of minicamp, continuing to build a relationship together.
Robinson has talked about being a mentor to the younger receivers, especially a potential breakout candidate in George Pickens. However, the veteran wideout can also serve as a mentor of sorts for Pickett. While Robinson cannot work with Pickett on the finer points of a quarterback’s mechanics, he can help with communication, setting expectations of what a wide receiver and quarterback relationship looks like, and how to build a rapport between the positions.
While he’s doing his best to be that mentor for the younger players, Robinson can’t help but be impressed by the work Pickett is doing ahead of his second season. He’s in command of the offense overall and is taking leadership on that side of the football. Soon, he’ll be a leader of the entire team as he continues to ascend towards being that face of the franchise.
