On the most recent episode of the Ross Tucker Football Podcast, Tucker and NFL film guru Greg Cosell broke down whether Kenny Pickett is a quarterback that the Steelers can actually win with. While the team’s currently 7-5, Pickett is out for at least one week and more likely longer with an ankle injury, and his performance hasn’t been why the Steelers are winning. Cosell believes that the Steelers can’t make that determination until they see him in an offense that prioritizes using the middle of the field and being aggressive downfield. That’s what the Steelers were doing more often in the last two weeks under Eddie Faulkner at offensive coordinator, with Mike Sullivan calling plays, but Pickett’s injury limits the time he’ll spend getting to prove that he can be a winning quarterback.
“I think Kenny Pickett at his core is an executor and ball distributor who does have good movement ability,” Cosell said on the podcast. “The thing that stood out just watching the small sample size with a different coordinator and a different play caller, was that they worked the middle of the field, which they had not done under Matt Canada. They got Pat Freiermuth involved, which is, I think critical getting a tight end involved when you have a good receiving tight end, and they were more aggressive throwing the ball down the field. I think we need to see Kenny Pickett in this style of offense before we make that decision.”
Pickett had his best game of the season with Faulkner and Sullivan running the show in Week 12, throwing for 278 yards in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He had gone 7-of-10 for 70 yards against the Cardinals before leaving with an ankle injury, but he also missed some reads and struggled under pressure, two longstanding issues for him. But he was looking better in the offense post-Canada, a positive sign for his development.
The injury comes at a bad time for the Steelers. Not only do they lose their starting quarterback while they’re in the thick of the playoff race, they also lose him during a period where development is crucial and they could get a better idea of what Pickett could be. If Pickett continued to struggle, the front office and decision-makers may realize the quarterback position is one they need to address sooner rather than later. But if he played well in an offense that wasn’t 100% run by Canada, then there’d be some hope that he’s the sort of quarterback Pittsburgh can win with. But now, we might not see Pickett again until Week 18, meaning the evaluation on him is still incomplete in Pittsburgh’s new offense.
Pickett is going to be Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback next season, especially given the injury (and even before, the chances were slim to none). It might be his last chance to prove that he can be a starter for this team, but the Steelers are not giving up on him yet. We’ll see if he can look better in a more modern offense, one that isn’t as rudimentary and boring as Canada’s. If he can, that’s great news for Pittsburgh, and Cosell clearly still thinks Pickett can be a good quarterback. But if he continues to struggle, then the Steelers may be looking for a new quarterback sooner than anticipated.
