He may not have been in the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback room for a long time, but during QB Tanner Morgan’s short stint, Kenny Pickett made an one heck of an impression on him.
On the SKOL Football Talk Show, Morgan spoke about the second-year man out of the University of Pittsburgh and his approach to the game.
“Kenny Pickett definitely impressed me just with how mature he was,” said Morgan. “Obviously a second year and the way that his approach to it was and how competitive he was I thought that was something that was pretty awesome.”
Pickett’s approach to the game has never been questioned. It’s his production that’s caused concern. In the offseason, Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley wrote a feature on the quarterback where she outlined the gunslinger’s approach to the game. In it, he explained how he would stay in the facility from sun up to sun down in preparation of the upcoming season.
Unfortunately, that production was not realized. This year, Pickett threw for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions in twelve games of action. While most of that time was spent under the guidance of former offensive coordinator Matt Canada, Pickett struggled in his own right, missing routine throws, escaping the pocket early and making questionable decisions.
At this point, we all know what happened next. Injuring his ankle, Pickett watched Rudolph save Christmas and ignite a sputtering offense into the playoffs.
According to head coach Mike Tomlin in his end-of-year media session, the team has made Pickett aware that this upcoming season will be a big one for him. The team is aiming to re-sign Rudolph, but if they fail, it is likely they add another veteran arm to the roster.
Tomlin seems confident in Pickett even after a tough season, but said he expects there to be a competition.
“There will be competition there,” Tomlin said during his final presser. “There’s always competition in this thing. We don’t anoint anyone. I’m appreciative of his efforts and where he is and excited about continuing to work with him. But certainly, he will be challenged from a competition perspective moving forward. Competition brings the best out in all of us.”
Time will tell if Pickett turns out to be the future of the team, but it’s at least comforting to hear he had the respect of his surrounding teammates.
