Steelers QB Kenny Pickett in Weird Spot Heading Into Training Camp
PITTSBURGH -- Is there anyone else in the NFL with expectations as lopsided as those of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett? Heading into training camp, the second-year passer has been named a dark horse MVP candidate, a player on a short leash, and someone who can lead the black and gold to the promise land.
Right now, you have no idea what to expect from Pickett. And those talking about him are nowhere close to being on the same page.
There are two sides of the Pickett storyline. One side believes he's headed for elite status. That year two of the Steelers quarterback is going to be the start of something special and could lead Pittsburgh to a magical run.
"Guys, I like Kenny Pickett," NFL analyst Kyle Brandt said on Good Morning Football. "And I know that they are not super sexy and it’s not this guy that guy and Burrow and Mahomes, but how cool would it be if in that crazy AFC quarterback spray, another challenge arose. You got Pickett to Pickens and I like what they did. Right now, if you Google Kenny Pickett, there’s nothing. There’s no Instagram post, there’s no tweets, there’s no cool thing about him working out with teammates. It’s Mike Tomlin saying they’re excited about his second year. It’s so Pittsburgh, it’s perfect. It was low-key, workman-like, and I love how he finished the year. I love how he’s going to start next year… I like him, I like what Pittsburgh is doing very quietly."
Then, there's the side that believes Pickett isn't a sure bet, and that there can't be too much leeway with the team when deciding whether or not he's their franchise quarterback.
"You had that grace period, that grace period is gone,” former Steeler Ryan Clark said on ESPN. "This team finished winning 6 of its last 7 games, and when you watch him have a comeback against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens, you expect to see more of that. Now, coming into the season knowing you’re the guy, you have to be ready to lead, you have to be ready on day one to show these guys you can lead them to the promised land. You also have to remember it was an extremely long time between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh Steelers fans, the organization, and Mike Tomlin isn’t prepared to wait that long. Those expectations are heaped onto Kenny Pickett and that first-round draft stock."
Even one former Steeler sees a resemblance to Ben Roethlisberger in Pickett heading into year two.
"This is gonna remind me exactly of how Ben Roethlisberger went from year one to year two," former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch said on KDKA’s All-Access. "He had a chance to study all of his plays from the season before and that’s exactly what Kenny Pickett is going to do. He’s going to see what they did with the offensive line and they expect the running game to get better, so when you have that, now he has to gain the trust with Matt Canada to push the ball down the field."
So, what should the expectations be of Kenny Pickett as the Steelers begin training camp?
Nothing. Pickett showed he's capable of winning in the NFL, and has a clutch gene that the Steelers wanted him to develop in year one. But last summer, Pittsburgh pushed two-minute drills and redzone offense on Pickett more than anything else. So, it was expected that he should shine in those moments.
The Steelers drafted Pickett because he's a winner.
This year, they're going to try and turn him into a well-rounded QB. A player who can control a game, make big plays and keep an offense rolling through four quarters.
Until they're done preparing him, though, we don't know what Pickett is going to turn into. Right now, we can just assume what he's going to get better at.
If everything works out, Pickett is going to be a complete quarterback in 2023. And if that's what makes a QB "elite" or another Big Ben, then great for the Steelers.
If not, then maybe expectations for the year two quarterback are a bit too high.
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