Dulac: Steelers' Mike Tomlin Keeping Leash on Kenny Pickett

The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach isn't letting his quarterback have full control yet.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten just enough out of their young quarterback to move them to 6-3 on the season. But while the fanbase is turning their head on Kenny Pickett, one insider believes it's his head coach who is dimming any potential he has for expanding his success. 

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac was asked about Pickett's lack of success during his weekly chat and said it may be Mike Tomlin who's keeping the "leash" on his QB's risk-taking. 

"Pickett is only doing what he is told to do, and that’s not just necessarily coming from Matt Canada," Dulac wrote. "Mike Tomlin sets the directive, and the coaches follow. Pickett is only doing what they want him doing — play not to lose the game."

Dulac believes that Tomlin is directing Pickett to play conservatively in an effort to avoid turnovers due to the young quarterback's inability to disguise his reads. 

"I don’t think Mike Tomlin wants to take the leash off Pickett, not when he tends to stare down receivers," Dulac writes. 

And when it comes to Canada's play calls for Pickett, "he is only calling the game the way Mike Tomlin wants him to call it," Dulac says. 

Pickett has thrown 13 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in his NFL career, and has only thrown for two scores in the last six games. Tomlin said during his weekly press conference that he "certainly" needs more from his quarterback, but that the team has been working on getting the "desired result" all season. 

Whether or not Tomlin takes the breaks off of Pickett will be determined by the head coach and head coach alone, but it's hard to say more fans don't want to see what Pickett can do when given full faith in his game. 

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