Kenny Pickett didn’t become Ben Roethlisberger’s successor with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, he was traded after only two seasons with them. It was a misfire on the Steelers’ part, and Terry Bradshaw recently put a lot of blame on the team for Pickett’s failure. Former NFL linebacker LaVar Arrington thinks Bradshaw hit the nail on the head with his analysis.
“He’s getting a little older, but what he said was clear,” Arrington said recently on his 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe podcast. “I’ll say that. It’s not a sentiment to really disagree with.
“What are you going to say to disagree with the fact that what did you really do to, one, develop Kenny Picket, two, put in front of him the opportunities to have success, and three, if it wasn’t going to be him, what was your contingency plans upon not using him?”
Coming out of college, Pickett didn’t have many elite traits that projected him as an elite NFL quarterback. The 2022 draft class lacked top-tier talent at quarterback. The Steelers over-drafted Pickett, and that likely contributed to his struggles.
As a first-round pick, the expectations placed on Pickett were greater, but the Steelers didn’t do him many favors, either. They threw him into Matt Canada’s putrid offense, and the lack of talent surrounding him didn’t help, either.
Pickett’s weapons in Pittsburgh weren’t terrible, but they also weren’t great. During his rookie year, Diontae Johnson was his top receiver with rookie George Pickens flashing at times as well. However, the Steelers didn’t have much else at wideout. Pat Freiermuth and Najee Harris were both also fine offensive weapons, but they weren’t anything special.
The Steelers’ greatest failure with Pickett, however, might have been the offensive line they put him behind. In 2022, the Steelers’ starting offensive line consisted of Dan Moore Jr., Kevin Dotson, Mason Cole, James Daniels, and Chukwuma Okorafor. That isn’t a star-studded line, and Pickett was sacked 27 times in 13 games.
The Steelers didn’t put Pickett in an environment to succeed. Their offense was extremely young when they drafted him, and they lacked proper leadership. Perhaps Pickett would’ve thrived in a more stable situation.
However, it can also be true that some of Pickett’s struggles were his own fault. He’s not a perfect player. Last year, he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, who had arguably the most talented roster in the NFL. In the two games he actually played, Pickett didn’t look much improved. He threw for 286 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Both games were basically more of the same.
Bradshaw and Arrington have a point, but Pickett isn’t blameless in his lack of development, although he has a chance to change that this year. If he wins the starting job with the Cleveland Browns, he could prove his doubters wrong. It’s a longshot, but Pickett’s NFL career isn’t over yet.
