Legend has it that you need to have a quarterback playing well in order to have sustained success in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t had that in 2023. They’ve managed a 2-2 record so far, but that has been largely through defensive efforts. And we saw how variable that can be on a weekly basis.
Yet the Steelers have a young quarterback on their roster they drafted in the first round in 2022 to be their franchise guy. He hasn’t been that guy, or even a distant resemblance to him, since the 2023 season has begun. So what do they do about it? What has changed since last year?
“He’s a lot different. He has great command of the offense. He knows where he wants to go with the ball and what he wants to do”, offensive coordinator Matt Canada told reporters on Thursday, via Amanda Godsey. “I’ve got great faith we’re going to start seeing those things happen really, really soon”.
Yes, we have been hearing about the team’s faith in this and that, including Pickett, for a while now. And we have little to show for it. While last year’s late-season run was fun, I think most of us recognized its carryover capacity could be limited. So far, it very much has. But the team isn’t blind to the reality of the need for action over words.
“Until we do [show these things], it doesn’t matter. That’s all that matters. We’ve got to be there”, Canada said. “But I think Kenny has played through the summer and camp and all those times, and at times in the games been exactly what he wants and what we wanted. We have to present a better picture for him so he can be more consistent so we can be more consistent and we can score more points”.
So what exactly is this clearer picture that the Steelers need to provide Pickett with? What is lacking in the manner in which they prepare him for games that is limiting his potential? We don’t get to sit and watch practice, so it’s impossible for us to know.
There has never been an indication that work ethic is an issue. Indeed, far from it. There have been numerous stories about the fact that the team has a room set up for Pickett and other players like Minkah Fitzpatrick to break down tape and things of that nature on their own time.
The frightening possibility is that the answer to the question is there isn’t anything the Steelers can do to make Pickett better. At least up to this point in his career, we cannot safely say that he possesses the talent to be a consistently above-average starting quarterback. Currently, he is not even an average starter.
So, yes, all the confidence in the world in Pickett is great. That’s the only chance he actually has of succeeding, I think. But it’s also important that the team recognizes the need to prove that confidence is justified by validating it through on-field success.
