A quarterback has to be everything for a team. Of course, he needs to be accurate, a good decision-maker, show off a live arm, and have the smarts to digest and run a complex offense. But a quarterback’s job description is also defined by the intangible. Their leadership, their ability to rally a team, and their ability to control and manage the range of personalities that make up the offensive side of the ball.
Discussing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ culture on Thursday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, former NFL head coach Chuck Pagano explains what it takes to truly have offensive players functioning as one.
“If you have a quarterback, a real dude,” Pagano told the show. “Even [Andrew Luck], as a rookie, because of who he was and his work ethic. Those young receivers, all those young guys who came in with him. Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, those guys aren’t acting like they’re acting if they’ve got a real dude under center. Because that guy is controlling all that. Position coach and that quarterback. And he’s not letting them get away with that bullshit.”
To be clear, Pagano didn’t explicitly say Pickett wasn’t capable of being that guy. But there’s a heavy implication there considering the locker room issues the Steelers have had as Johnson and Pickens have been called out for their frustrations impacting their play. Though Pickett is only in his second year, Pagano pointed to Andrew Luck and the leadership he immediately showed on a completely rebuilt Colts’ team, taking them from 2-14 the year prior to being drafted to 11-5 as a rookie.
Former NFL GM Michael Lombardi, joining the show immediately following Pagano’s comments, agreed.
“This is a big issue around the league right now,” he said. “The quarterback’s personality has to manifest itself through the team.”
There’s no question 2023 has been a challenging year for Pickett. Exiting the preseason with high expectations and the weight of being the Steelers’ franchise quarterback, he’s struggled to produce. Now, he’s shelved for at least another game after undergoing ankle surgery.
For people in Pickett’s position, there’s a lot to manage. Heavy is the head who wears the crown. For a Pittsburgh team in flux, the Steelers will need real leadership in order for this team to avoid the dunce cap by year’s end.
