The Pittsburgh Steelers, led by general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin, are doing everything they can do to make QB Kenny Pickett’s life better in 2023. The reason is simple: The Steelers will only go as far as their second-year quarterback will take them.
Sure, the stellar defense will help keep Pittsburgh in games and even win some of them. However, if the Steelers want to be contenders, it’ll have to be Pickett that makes them one. If Adam Schein of CBS Sports Network is to be believed when talking on Time To Schein Tuesday, Pickett will take the next big step in returning the team to contention.
“I think Kenny Pickett is going to have a monster second season,” Schein said. “Mike Tomlin’s been talking him up at Steelers’ training camp. You know I loved the draft pick of Kenny Pickett. Pickett-to-Pickens is going to be real and spectacular this year… I think Pickens is going to be Pro Bowl-caliber.”
The Pickett and Pickens combination certainly showed up on Tuesday on the field at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA during Steelers training camp. Pickens made an absurdly acrobatic and incredible catch over rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. who could not have done anything to stop it. Pickens already proved that he’s one of the best contested-catch receivers in the game as a rookie and it doesn’t look like he’s going to drop off anytime soon in that regard.
Then factor in that the first team rep of training camp started with Pickett looking for Pickens on a go route, and it’s easy to see why people are getting excited about the combination. It’s apparent that the offensive focus of this training camp is about developing Pickett and the offense. Just about every player along with Tomlin has mentioned the need to be more explosive in Year Two with Pickett.
Developing a rapport between Pickett and Pickens seems to be the direction Pittsburgh is going on offense. Alex Kozora noted in the Day Five edition of his Training Camp Diary that Pickens appears to be Pickett’s #1 target through the early parts of camp. That would certainly lend some credence to Schein’s thoughts on Pickens’ ascension as well.
So far, the early returns at training camp are pointing in a positive direction for Pickett, and that’s got people like Schein very excited for the upcoming season. Enough so that Schein expects the Steelers to be better than a few other teams being talked up, such as the Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Raiders.
