Kenny Pickett has been the talk of the NFL preseason, leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to three touchdowns in the three drives he’s been out there. During an appearance on El Podcast Inmaculado with Alvaro Martin and Arturo Carlos on Steeler Nation Radio, general manager Omar Khan praised Pickett’s work ethic and desire to be great.
“I don’t know if I know a player that works harder and has a desire to be a great quarterback or a great player more than Kenny,” Khan said. “Really, it’s special to watch him and see the effect he has with the other members of the team, because they look to him as an example and see how he works. But to see how he’s matured from last year to this year as a player has been, I don’t know if it’s a surprise, but it’s made it very interesting to see how he’s grown.”
Pickett’s growth was evident in training camp, and he’s showing it now in game settings. He’s more comfortable taking chances downfield, with both of his passing touchdowns coming on explosive plays. The first was a 33-yard strike to George Pickens, the second a 25-yard touchdown to Pat Freiermuth where Pickett put the ball in the perfect spot. His ball placement has been really impressive throughout the preseason, and if this version of Pickett is what we see during the regular season, the Steelers offense could take off.
Pickett’s been praised by his work ethic by his teammates and coaches and Khan multiple times now. Having a player who’s as dedicated to his craft as Pickett seems to be is a huge win for Pittsburgh on and off the field. When the most important player on offense works as hard as Pickett does, then everyone else sees that and tries to rise to his level. As a collective, that makes everyone better and the whole unit rises thanks to Pickett’s diligence.
We won’t truly know the improvement Pickett’s made until we see him on the field for a full game. But, if he’s taken a leap and continues to ascend throughout the season, Pittsburgh could wind up having an offense talented enough to lead them deep into the postseason. We know how good the Steelers’ defense can be, and pairing that with a top-12 offense led by Pickett could make Pittsburgh dangerous.
It’s not just physical growth, as Pickett’s talked about his mental growth and processing improvement, as well. Across the board, it seems as if Pickett’s devoted himself to becoming as good of a quarterback as he can be. Last year, he improved throughout the course of the season, and that’s something I expect to happen again as he gets more and more comfortable in game settings.
His offseason work and improvement have set the Steelers up for success in 2023. We’ll see on Sept. 10 how much they really have grown and if they can translate their offseason and preseason success into wins.
