Ever since QB Kenny Pickett was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, he knew he would take on the difficult task of following a legend.
That legend is Ben Roethlisberger, who had seen his game drop off in recent years due to injury and age, but nonetheless had a Hall of Fame career in the Black and Gold. Roethlisberger finished his time in the league as a two-time Super Bowl champion, a six-time Pro Bowler, and the owner if nearly every Steelers’ career passing record. He played 18 seasons in the city of Pittsburgh, being part of some memorable moments as he often did playing “backyard football.”
WR Diontae Johnson has had the opportunity to play with both Roethlisberger and Pickett during his time with the Steelers and was asked by DL Cameron Heyward on the Not Just Football podcast to compare his experience playing with the two.
“Seven was different, I’m not gonna lie,” Johnson said Wednesday on the podcast, which aired on NFL on ESPN’s YouTube channel. “Seven was different ’cause he is a Hall of Fame quarterback. Kenny, I would say he’s working his way towards Ben’s level in his own way. He’s still growing and learning. Not taking nothing from his game at all. Great quarterback, which he got great group of guys around him. So, it is my job to continue to make him look good out there.”
Pickett hasn’t performed near the heights that Roethlisberger did during his heyday, but it also must be taken into context that Pickett is in just his second season. Roethlisberger posted similar stats his first two years in the league — he didn’t really take off statistically until his fourth season — tossing more touchdown passes as a rookie than Pickett but also throwing for a similar number of yards and interceptions.
Pickett isn’t the same caliber of quarterback as Roethlisberger was coming out of college, Big Ben had superior size and arm talent, being able to famously throw off defenders with relative ease back in his prime and complete passes nearly 70 yards down the field. Pickett doesn’t have that similar build or arm strength, but he does have notable traits. They include the mobility to create for himself with his legs as well as the ability to throw on the run and display moments of good accuracy.
Pickett has been in a bit of a slump in recent weeks, looking flat along with the rest of the offense for majority of games until the group figures it out for a drive or two. He will need to continue that development and work to become more consistent as a passer to be relied upon as this team’s franchise quarterback of the future. Hopefully one day, he becomes a guy that Steelers fans can look at in a similar light to Roethlisberger or even Terry Bradshaw as a quarterback who led Steelers teams to playoff success.
