For the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense, all eyes are on QB Kenny Pickett. That point was hammered home when players elected their 2023 team captains. On offense, Pickett is the only player with a ‘C’ on his chest. The lone offensive captain, it’s a responsibility he says he embraces.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Pickett talked about the honor.
“I take a lot of pride in it,” he said via the team website. “Something I don’t take lightly. I’m really proud to be the captain of this offense, this team, and the quarterback of this team. I just want to do everything I can to put us in the best position to win.”
Last year, the Steelers had two captains on offense in QB Mitch Trubisky and RB Najee Harris. Pickett is now the starter, Trubisky now a backup, while Harris won’t have that status for this season. It’s typical for the starting quarterback to be named team captain but he’ll be counted on this year to lead on and off the field. Pittsburgh needs him to make a big jump in play for this offense to put more points on the board. For the past two seasons, the Steelers have ranked in the 20s in points per game, a mark that won’t win in an ultra-competitive division and conference.
Pickett is one of four team captains. Defensively, DT Cam Heyward and OLB T.J. Watt were also elected while Miles Killebrew will serve as the Steelers’ special teams captain.
While he’s the lone offensive captain, Pickett praised the leadership ability of his teammates.
“I don’t think you need a ‘C’ on your chest to be a leader on this team or any team in general. I think we have a ton of leaders on offense.”
Though he’s only in his second season, Pickett has displayed his leadership and work ethic throughout the offseason. He took only one week off after his rookie year came to a close. Throughout the spring and into the summer, he worked out with teammates several times. He joined Mitch Trubisky at his Florida home to throw to most of the Steelers’ skill players and two days before his wedding, Pickett was on a football field with WR Allen Robinson II.
He carried that into training camp and had a strong showing, especially in his three preseason games. Pickett had a perfect passer rating and led the first-team offense to touchdowns on all five of their possessions. They did it through the air, WR George Pickens finding the end zone from 33-yards out in the opener, and on the ground, Jaylen Warren scoring twice and Najee Harris once in exhibition action. Pickett and company will look to carry that success over into Sunday’s Week One opener against the San Francisco 49ers, the NFL’s toughest defense a year ago.
