Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett improved as the year went on during his rookie season in 2022, and as looks to make a jump during his sophomore season, Pickett said he’s back to having fun and playing free.
“Last year as a rookie, you kind of just want to go operate and get through your progressions and you’re kind of playing by the book, I’d say. And now that I know where everyone’s gonna be, I understand the defenses that I’m playing. I’m kind of allowing myself to go be me and just play free. It’s fun, I’m getting back to playing the way I wanna play,” Pickett said via the Steel Here podcast with Jersey Jerry and Kevin Adams.
As a rookie, Pickett had to get used to the NFL and what it takes to be a starting quarterback week in and week out in the league. As he got more comfortable, he started to play better and better, and as he enters his second season, the reins are starting to come off.
Pickett has talked extensively about wanting more ownership in the offense this offseason, and now that he has it he can play the way he wants. If Pickett playing how he wants looks anything like it did during the preseason in the regular season, then he’s going to ascend to another level. The Steelers’ offense wasn’t great last season, but it got better as Pickett matured. If he’s taking control of the offense, letting it rip downfield like he did in the preseason and generally just feeling more comfortable, the offense will look a whole lot better this season.
The pieces around Pickett are better, but that doesn’t mean anything if he doesn’t show some level of growth. It’s clear from training camp and the preseason that he’s improved, and with his mentality of being a winner, I’m not concerned about that translating to the regular season. But if it doesn’t, it could end up being a disappointing season for the Steelers with the AFC as loaded as ever in 2023.
The biggest thing I want to look for early in the season is just how big of a leap Pickett can take. He wasn’t always going up against starters in the preseason, so while he looked fantastic, it’s not the best gauge. Week One against the San Francisco 49ers is going to be a huge test, but really throughout the early part of the schedule, Pickett’s development and growth is going to be a major storyline.
If his preseason momentum carries over and he looks like the same player he was in August, you’ll probably be able to make an argument about Pickett being a top-12 quarterback in the NFL, if not higher. The fact he’s playing free and having fun with what he’s comfortable doing is going to help him grow, and I’m excited to see just how much he grows throughout 2023 and beyond.
Watch the full podcast below:
