It wasn’t always pretty for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett during his rookie season in 2022.
Prior to the Week Nine bye week, Pickett had serious struggles, turning the ball over at a bit of an alarming pace.
That culminated in two fourth-quarter interceptions on the road against the Miami Dolphins, including one to Noah Igbinoghene that gave the Dolphins the win in the Week Seven matchup on Sunday Night Football.
After the game, Pickett was rather down with the loss and his failures late in the game. But head coach Mike Tomlin was right there for the young quarterback, offering words of encouragement after the disappointing loss. That moment went viral and was rather special for Pickett.
Appearing on the Steel Here podcast with co-hosts Kevin Adams and Jersey Jerry, Pickett explained the moment and spoke about how much Tomlin meant to him in that moment and continues to mean to him.
“There’s no one that wanted to win that game more than me down the stretch there. Obviously, I was down about it. But like, we kinda ended up just walking next to each other and you know, he said those things and you look at how we came back after that,” Pickett said on the Steel Here podcast, according to video via the Jersey Jerry’s YouTube page. “…He knows how to rally the guys and we all bought in, and it was great to have a late playoff push.”
“Man, it came down to the wire. We came up short, but we know what we’re capable of doing.”
That certainly was a crushing moment for Pickett, who was seemingly growing up right before our eyes in the fourth quarter of that road game against the Dolphins. He led the Steelers down the field twice in the fourth quarter, getting into scoring position, but a crushing interception by Miami safety Jevon Holland ended one drive, and then on the play that he likely should have run with it, Pickett threw for Diontae Johnson on a back-shoulder ball that they were not on the same page on, resulting in Igbinoghene’s interception, sealing the win.
Tomlin’s words of encouragement rang true.
After the loss to Miami, Pittsburgh then lost on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles, but then entered a much-needed bye-week and then took off, going 7-2 down the stretch. Pickett started to look better and better and came through in clutch situations in the second half of the season, leading four fourth-quarter comebacks and three game-winning drives. He was clutch in big situations for the Steelers.
Better days were ahead as a rookie for Pickett.
Entering his second season, that still holds true. Better days are undoubtedly ahead for the Steelers’ signal caller. Having a head coach like Tomlin, one to rally around and believe and buy into, is key, too.
