Steelers fans warming to Kenny Pickett as “the guy” at QB
Change is never an easy thing. Pittsburgh Steelers fans, this 2022 NFL regular season, have expressed mixed feelings about changing things up; some want to go back in time, others desire moving forward, and still others appear completely ready to scrap everything on a wide scale.
One player that has been thrust to the forefront of a tumultuous year – with the team and among fans – has been rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett. And the spotlight he’s stood beneath has been tightly focused on nearly every aspect of the young quarterback.
His elevation to being “the guy” to lead the Steelers offense caused a lot of ripples and questions among Steelers fans. Let’s look at what has progressed.
Early reactions
There were mixed reactions when Head Coach Mike Tomlin brought Pickett in for Mitchell Trubisky at halftime in their Week 4 game against the New York Jets. Was it too soon to pull Trubisky despite troubles offensively? Was it too soon to ask Pickett to step up?
This decision was one that the Steelers coaching staff had spent a considerable amount of time analyzing as a possible situation and made it when they were up against the ropes in a game most fans expected should be a win before the season kicked off.
As is to be expected in intense moments and high-pressure situations – including statements Tomlin made about being unable to hear fans chanting for “Kenny” since the Steelers’ preseason games – the decision to sit Trubisky upset many of the veterans’ fans. It hasn’t led to Trubisky being permanently benched or the Steelers promoting other players above him on the depth chart beyond Pickett.
For fans who follow NFL betting lines, there were – no doubt – some feelings of dismay over the upheaval so early in the season, but it lifted the hopes of many other Steelers fans.
Some fans felt it was the beginning of a new era in Pittsburgh with Tomlin firmly expressing confidence in Pickett’s ability to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback.
Fan confidence levels
Following the Week 4 loss, Steelers fans’ confidence levels in the team, per expert analyst polling, looked like this:
- Preseason confidence level: 91%
- Pre-Regular season confidence level: 81%
- Post week 1 confidence level: 80%
- Post week 2 confidence level: 20%
- Post week 3 confidence level: 21%
- Post week 4 confidence level: 52%
When polled after the dramatic loss to the Jets, 82% of Steelers fans were firm in the belief that Pickett is the correct choice for Pittsburgh’s future. 28% doubted whether removing Trubisky should be a permanent deal.
https://twitter.com/BlitzGuyOG/status/1585806942127419392?t=QbYI8Sv9H4v3yLJMY390zA&s=19
What professional analysts said
Molding a new quarterback into the shape needed to fit into the team and hold it up is about more than just a player’s skill and a coach’s wisdom and experience: it’s about timing as well.
Many in the professional football analysis world believe that the moment is ripe for a permanent commitment to Pickett as starting quarterback since the energy in the stadium was electrified the moment he stepped onto the field.
Tomlin may have had his reasons for not making this change immediately. It may have been throwing salt in an open wound to permanently switch a quarterback to the bench and replace him with a rookie, and that might have caused unnecessary strain on relations within the team.
Tomlin knows that the Steelers were more efficient with Pickett, but there could be more to that situation than meets the eye. It may have been the feeling of change and new hope that ignited that spark so late in the Week 4 game and moving forward as opposed to Pickett just being the better choice: only trial and potential error will tell in this case.
Pickett hasn’t played flawless ball, but Tomlin has been coaching the rookie to have the right mindset.
What teammates have said
Pickett has played with swag that hasn’t been seen on the Steelers offense in quite some time. The team sees it, the crowd sees it.
Linebacker Alex Highsmith said that Pickett has the right competitive mindset to help the team reach its goals. Highsmith feels that Pickett provided the juice that the team needed at the last minute against the Jets, and he’s looking forward to watching him grow as a player.
“As soon as he came into the game [in Week 4]… that got us going.” – Diontae Johnson
“It brought us a spark… (Kenny) did a great job,” said tight end Pat Freiermuth. “He’s a gamer.”
Pickett’s own thoughts
Though he is a young player, there are no concerns about his maturity both on and off the field: he is something of a veteran presence to the team though he is only 24-years-old.
QB Kenny Pickett addresses the media following our game against the Jets. pic.twitter.com/c8rbEkrIqK
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 2, 2022
Kenny Pickett gets it pic.twitter.com/zskf7Q1gVk
— Adam Steel (@RenegadeAdam) October 27, 2022
Final thoughts
Some coaches might be of the opinion that to play well, players need a level of job security that is seemingly not present in this situation. Maybe reverse engineering the idea is the ticket here. Perhaps a coach understanding what is really needed and caring for the success of the team, rather than the security of any individual player, is what’s going to put the Steelers back on a winning track.
Steelers quarterback coach Mike Sullivan understands that success doesn’t come overnight:
“There is going to be a learning curve. That’s a big jump going from college to the NFL. There is no substitute for the reps and the experience and for being put into those moments when you’re thrown into the fire. We’re pleased with the progress he’s making. It’s a process. There are no shortcuts.”
Fans, though, seems to be warming to the idea that Pickett – once the Steelers figure out all their other issues – is the quarterback the team can improve the most with.
Whatever the case, Pickett has found himself the subject of much media attention these last few weeks, and the flurry is likely not over for him yet. Keep your eyes on the Steelers to see where this wild ride takes them.
