When it comes to second-year Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, the general consensus is, well, let’s say divided.
There are many within the media landscape who believe he’s a good quarterback and is the franchise quarterback who could lead the Steelers to great heights. Other aren’t so sure and are concerned with his physical traits, which if we’re being fair aren’t all that eye-opening.
He doesn’t have the strongest arm, isn’t the biggest quarterback, doesn’t have superhuman strength, and isn’t the fastest at the position who is a true dual threat like other big-name quarterbacks.
It doesn’t matter though for Pickett. He has the moxie at the position, that true “it” factor that can’t be measured. Hearts and smarts. It matters at quarterback.
Pickett has it.
It wasn’t all that surprising though to see Pickett barely mentioned Monday in ESPN’s Quarterback Council, which broke down the top 10 quarterbacks at each trait, from arm strength to second-reaction skills.
Where Pickett did show up though was in the “compete and toughness” trait. While he wasn’t in the top 10, Pickett was highlighted as a “riser to know” in the category by ESPN’s Jordan Reid.
“Kenny Pickett could rise quickly in this category. He isn’t afraid to take off and use his legs, and he has already displayed a high level of toughness and grit,” Reid writes. “Pickett had back-to-back fourth-quarter comebacks in Weeks 16 and 17 for the Steelers last season, making him the first rookie passer in NFL history to accomplish that in consecutive games.”
There is no denying how competitive Pickett is, and the toughness is certainly there.
The guy is a maniacal competitor, one who wants to win at everything and is driven to do so, putting in the work — and then some. His preparation is off the charts. The film study work is rather impressive for a quarterback at this stage of his career, and the abilities between the ears appear top-notch.
Football IQ and knowing where and when to go with the football is a huge advantage for quarterbacks. Pickett has it. Some of the best of all-time, like Tom Brady and Drew Brees, had that too. They weren’t the biggest, fastest or strongest either. That doesn’t mean Pickett is going to be Brady or Brees, but he has the most important traits at the position.
That moxie and calm, cool, collected attitude and style in tight situations is rather impressive, too. The Week 16 and 17 wins coming back late and making massive throws to win the games represented a great period of growth for Pickett and showed exactly who he is going to be in those moments. Some guys have it; some guys don’t.
Pickett has “it” and that’s all that matters right now.
