Kenny Pickett Rumors: Steelers Give No ‘Indication They Plan to Move on from’ QB

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The Pittsburgh Steelers “haven’t given any indication they plan to move on” from quarterback Kenny Pickett right now, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

This comes as Pickett is sidelined for potentially multiple weeks after undergoing surgery to address a high ankle sprain. Before the injury, his performance had led fans to question whether the team should consider its options in the offseason.

The 2022 first-round pick has thrown for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions through 12 starts. His completion percentage (62.0), passing yards per game (172.5) and QBR (38.1) have all fallen from where they were in his rookie year.

An argument against running it back with Pickett in 2024 and beyond would start with the fact he was on the older side for a draft prospect (24) and thought to be one of the most NFL-ready passers in the 2022 class. What he lacked in a high ceiling he was supposed to make up for with a relatively high baseline. Instead, he has been a below-average starter on top of probably lacking the tools required to be a top-end talent at his position.

The more charitable evaluation of Pickett would point to the general state of the Steelers offense under Matt Canada. In the two games after Canada was fired as offensive coordinator, the second-year signal-caller went 31-of-43 for 348 yards with a 95.9 passer rating.

Maybe Pickett would thrive in 2024 with a different play-caller installed.

One thing does seem pretty clear. If the Steelers were to weigh an alternative, it’s probably a candidate outside of the current roster.

The next few weeks will provide Mitch Trubisky with another extended audition, but he had his chance in 2022 when he opened as the starter. That saw him throw for 653 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions through four weeks before he was benched.