Call him a little bit biased. But you can also call former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jerome Bettis firmly on the Kenny Pickett bandwagon. Speaking with WTAE’s Ryan Recker, Bettis spoke glowingly of Pickett’s potential entering the second year of his career.
“I really believe he has the potential to be a superstar,” Bettis told Recker. “I think if he develops the way he has been and continues to, I think the sky is the limit for this football team because I think we have some special players all over the football field.”
A promising preseason is leading to plenty of optimism about the Steelers from fans, pundits, and evidently, those working directly in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s starting offense was red-hot in the preseason, finding the end zone on all five of their drives. They did it with big plays through the air and on the ground, George Pickens’ 33-yard touchdown and Jaylen Warren’s 62-yard sprint, and down near the goal line, Najee Harris and Warren punching it in from short-yardage in the finale against the Atlanta Falcons.
While Bettis is obviously connected to the Steelers, he knows a thing or two about second-year quarterbacks. It was Ben Roethlisberger who convinced Bettis to play the 2005 season following a bitter defeat in the 2004 AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots. In Roethlisberger’s second year, the Steelers went on a historic run, becoming the first sixth seed to ever win a Super Bowl.
On paper, there are similarities between the 2005 and 2023 Steelers. Two teams who want to win by being physical up front, a heavy dose of the run game, and a stout defense that gets after the quarterback and creates turnovers. Of course, the Steelers need to win a playoff game before they think Super Bowl and the AFC is stacked with dominant quarterbacks and passing offenses that will be tough to contend with. Arguably, the AFC North is the toughest division in football with all four teams legitimate playoff contenders. Compare that to 2005 when the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns each finished the year 6-10. That won’t happen this year.
Still, there’s reason to be excited about Pickett and the Steelers’ prospects. They’re a far better roster and team than a season ago, a 2022 squad who still somehow managed to go 9-8. Pittsburgh is more than capable of winning double-digit games this season and pushing for their first playoff win since 2016. To hear it from Bettis, they could do a lot more than that.
