Mason Rudolph may have the ball right now, but if he had it his way, Kenny Pickett would be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback on Sunday. Having missed the past three games due to an ankle injury, he expressed confidence in his belief that he’s ready to play but deferred to coaches and the medical staff. At least one of his top receivers shares his belief in his readiness.
“He’s preparing like he’s going to play, actually”, WR Diontae Johnson told reporters yesterday, via the team’s website. “I’m seeing him taking extra reps whenever he’s not going. I get a few reps with him. Like I said, he’s just preparing like he’s playing, and I don’t see nothing different”.
Johnson’s time with Pickett has been limited this season, cut short by half. He missed four-and-a-half games due to a hamstring injury early in the year, and now Pickett has missed the past three-and-a-half of the 15 games the team has played on the season.
Pickett has completed 30-of-53 pass attempts thrown in Johnson’s direction for 367 yards and one touchdown with 19 first downs. He has had a lot more time with George Pickens, however. The two have connected on 42-of-71 pass attempts for 701 yards and two scores with 29 first downs.
Johnson was his No. 1 target as a rookie, however, completing 48-of-92 pass attempts for 502 yards—and, infamously, no touchdowns. He did toss four to Pickens, for 555 total yards, but on fewer attempts and completions: 38 of 58. They are still looking to fine-tune that connection.
“I mean, he looked good to me, but at the end of the day it’s his decision and Coach’s decision. Me saying that is not gonna matter”, Johnson admitted after offering his asked-for opinion about how Pickett looked in practice yesterday. “He’s still got the spin on the ball. His footwork looks great. I don’t see nothing holding him back. He looked good to me”.
Pickett was injured on Dec. 3. The next game will be on Dec. 31, exactly 28 days, or four weeks, from his original injury. He has been able to return to play from the same sort of injury involving the same sort of surgery before, during his college career, as have several others.
Of course, none of us actually have eyes on practice, so we can’t say for sure how he looks. Pickett seems to think that he looks perfectly fine and admitted that his frustration over not playing is “obvious”, but it’s ultimately how his coaches and trainers see him.
That’s assuming that they aren’t all just using his injury as a cover to keep him sidelined, which is what seems to be the prevailing view. Mason Rudolph just led the Steelers to a 34-11 win, throwing for 290 yards with two touchdown passes, so the rationale is there. Being healthy enough to play is one thing. Being the option that gives the team the best chance to win is another.
