Terry Bradshaw is going to bat for Kenny Pickett. Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show Thursday, Bradshaw confidently said Pickett should be the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ starting quarterback in 2024.
“Pickett. I love Pickett,” Bradshaw said when asked who the Steelers’ starter would be. “Kenny Pickett is, I’ll tell you what Rich. I know him. I know him well. He’s fiercely competitive. He’s a tough-minded kid. Things don’t bother him. I really like him a lot.”
Pickett and Bradshaw’s have early-career parallels. Both first-round picks, both struggled early in their career. Bradshaw had more of an excuse, part of a rebuilding Steelers team under Chuck Noll, but he still struggled his first several years and was benched more than once. The same effectively occurred to Pickett in 2023, remaining the backup behind Mason Rudolph even after recovering from his ankle surgery.
To Bradshaw, the issue with the Steelers’ offense isn’t Pickett. It’s the pieces surrounding the quarterback. Something all teams with young quarterbacks should address.
“Look, I’m going to say this for the 10,000th time this year. Surround not only Kenny but any of these young quarterbacks…surround them with talent. Why is [Brock Purdy] successful with the 49ers, Rich? Look at all that talent. And look at that coach calling plays. And that kid’s got the poise. Kenny’s got the poise. I just want my quarterback to be poised. If he’s poised, then his brain’s going to be calm. He’s going to see the coverages, he’s going to be quick with his decision-making, and Pickett has all of that.”
Under Purdy, the 49ers have gone to the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl in his first two years. While he’s played well, the 49ers have done a great job of providing top-tier talent around him. Trading for RB Christian McCaffrey. Having stud receivers in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. A future Hall of Fame left tackle in Trent Williams. All under the coaching of Kyle Shanahan who, Super Bowls aside, calls a great game. While Pittsburgh has talent, especially at the skill positions, coaching has been lackluster.
Pittsburgh’s offseason has been consumed by speculation surrounding outside quarterbacks. None more than Justin Fields, likely on his way out of Chicago. While a popular name to land in Pittsburgh, Bradshaw believes that’s the wrong move.
“They’re going to beat [Pickett] up and they’re going to want to trade for Fields in Chicago.” he said. “I say that’s a huge mistake. You don’t need Fields. Stay with what you got. Just build him up. Get him another receiver. Get him another explosive tight end…have the ability to protect him.”
The Steelers could do more to improve their offensive line. Arguably, offensive tackle and center are still in need of being upgraded. Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. isn’t a franchise option while center Mason Cole regressed in 2023 and isn’t the long-term solution. Pittsburgh figures to address at least one of those positions early in April’s draft.
Though Pickett’s future remains in question, and he enters a critical 2024 season, a point the team has made clear, Bradshaw showed little concern so long as Pittsburgh is patient. Just as the franchise was with him in the early 1970s.
“He’s fine. That’s their guy,” Bradshaw said. “They’re probably going to be a lot of negative about him but that’s the guy I would go with.”
