It’s been a game of musical chairs when discussing who will end up being the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opening day QB. Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, and round and round we go depending on the day. However, if Rich Eisen is your source of news then the music stops at Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph.
“I don’t think it’s gonna be a mystery quarterback,” Eisen said from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on The Rich Eisen Show. “I’m not hearing anything here other than the fact that it’s gonna be one of those two. I would go with Kenny Pickett right now because he’s the only one on their roster right now. He’s the only one that’s signed right now.”
Eisen, a longtime NFL personality, is a good source to go to when looking for Steelers information. He has long championed coach Mike Tomlin, seemingly having a good relationship with him from the latter’s appearances on the show.
Still, Eisen didn’t rule out the possibility of Rudolph potentially making a run for the spot, but he threw cold water on the idea of Cousins and Wilson ending up in Pittsburgh.
“They may have a quarterback competition between the two of these guys,” Eisen said of Rudolph and Pickett. “And I know this does not excite the Steelers, but I am not hearing at all Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins, or they’re gonna draft one. I don’t hear that at all.”
Still, Eisen seemed adamant that Pickett would be leading the team come the start of the season.
No need to harp on the old, but, as we are aware, Pickett did not play well last season.
In 12 games, he threw for 2,070 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions and a completion rate of 62%. In his first two NFL seasons he has the fewest passing touchdowns for a quarterback since the 1970 merger, per Michelle Magdziuk of NFL Network.
In short, it hasn’t looked great for the former first-round pick. In his defense, he wasn’t handed the most ideal situation out of the gate with former offensive coordinator Matt Canada at the helm.
In fact, during the one full game he was able to play following Canada’s firing, Pickett looked, good throwing for 278 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals. Still not great, but better than usual.
According to GM Omar Khan, the team has full faith in Pickett and believe that he will grow under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Will that actually happen? It remains to be seen, but if the Steelers do stick with their current quarterback situation, they run the risk of having yet another subpar season due to subpar QB play.
