Kenny Pickett is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ current quarterback number one. However, this distinction is not fixed in stone for the foreseeable future.
Pickett was promoted to full-time starter in his second season with the Steelers after initially sitting behind Mitchell Trubisky early in the 2022 season.
However, a late-season ankle injury stopped Pickett from finishing the season as the driver. Instead, backup quarterback Mason Rudolph stepped in to keep the team afloat, starting Pittsburgh’s first postseason game since Roethlisberger’s departure.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will keep their options open at the quarterback position.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II recently spoke with KDKA-TV’s Bob Pompeani on the team’s future. Pompeani approached Rooney about the potential of dealing for a new quarterback. Rooney said the team isn’t “closing the door” on the concept.
“As we sit here in early February, we are not closing the door on anything,” Rooney told Pompeani. “We have a lot of evaluations to go through, and we will consider all options. Do everything we need to do to improve this coming season.” (H/T to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk)
While it is not a strong indication that the Steelers are looking to upgrade at the position, Rooney did not express complete trust in Pickett either. Sticking with the young quarterback is the most cost-effective option for the Steelers, as the 2022 first-round pick is just in his third year of his rookie contract.
In an interview with Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review a few days ago, Rooney stated that the Steelers “still feel good” about Pickett. However, the Steelers executive also revealed that the team is still expecting Pickett to take “the next step.”
“We still feel good about Kenny Pickett and his future,” Rooney stated, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “He knows he needs to work hard to take the next step, and we’ve talked about that.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting for a leap by quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Steelers supporters believed Pickett would have made the next step this season.
The Pitt alum shown some of the potential he hinted at during his first season. He also dramatically reduced his interception total. However, Pickett had identical figures in his second
Pickett was also significantly less effective in the run game this season. He rushed for only 54 yards and one touchdown on 54 carries this season, a significant drop from his 237-yard, three-touchdown season in Year 1.
The Steelers are likely to give Pickett another chance this season. However, his future role as the franchise quarterback remains unclear.
