The Steelers signed Mitchell Trubisky, but will still be searching for a franchise quarterback. Here’s why Kenny Pickett might not be a great fit.
Fans and the media alike have mixed opinions about the 2022 quarterback class. However, one player most Steelers fans have a soft spot for is Pitt QB, Kenny Pickett. The redshirt senior spent the past four seasons starting on Saturdays for the Panthers at Heinz Field and there is a swarm of Pittsburgh faithful who would love to see him continue his playing career in Pittsburgh.
While this seems like a movie script scenario, I don’t believe that Pickett is the quarterback this team needs. The way the dominos are falling, the Steelers should have their sights set elsewhere. Here are three reasons why Pickett isn’t a great option for the Steelers:
Steelers don’t need a pro-ready prospect with Trubisky
After the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky this offseason, I immediately thought of Kenny Pickett and why he makes even less sense to draft than he did before. Most would agree that Pickett is the most pro-ready prospect in this draft. He’s a guy that could step in and start from week one if a team needed him to.
However, with Trubisky signed, I’m not sure if Pickett would be a starter for the Steelers right away. While redshirting a quarterback usually isn’t a bad thing, it might be in this case. Pickett turns 24 years old early in June. Assuming he redshirted his whole rookie season, he will be 25 years old before he sees the NFL field on Sundays.
Obviously, we’ve seen that good quarterbacks can last a long time in this league. But if the Steelers plan to go with Trubisky from the gate (regardless of who they draft) wouldn’t it make more sense to take a younger QB with more upside?