Kenny Pickett leaves the Steelers vs Buccaneers game with an injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their first-round pick leave the field early in the second half. Here’s what it means for the team moving forward.

As if the Pittsburgh Steelers needed one more injury. Entering Week 6, Mike Tomlin was without four-fifths of his starting nickel secondary as well as Pat Freiermuth and rookie defensive lineman, DeMarvin Leal. This is in addition to Pittsburgh missing T.J. Watt since going down with a pectoral injury in Week 1 against the Bengals.

The last thing the Steelers needed was an injury to their rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett. The 2022 first-round pick was off to a hot start with an opening drive touchdown but had cooled off a bit since then. Early in the second half, Pickett took a big shot from Buccaneers linebacker, Devin White that left him shaken up.

Pickett remained down on the turf for a bit before being escorted to the blue tent. Just moments later, the training staff took him to the locker room.

My initial thought was a concussion for Pickett. The Fox broadcast crew confirmed late in the third quarter that he was being evaluated for a concussion. Early in the fourth, it was confirmed that Pickett had suffered a concussion and that he was officially ruled out for the remainder of the game. After the impact from White, Pickett was on the receiving end of some whiplash as his head hit the ground.

With Pickett absent, it was Mitch Trubisky who entered the game. Kevin Dotson — who was responsible for allowing the pressure on the play when Pickett got hurt — earned a penalty for holding on this play. It was his third of the game.

Pickett exited the game after completing 11 of 18 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. He managed just 3.7 yards per attempt after 7.4 yards per attempt on the opening drive, via ESPN Stats.

Obviously, we hope this concussion is nothing severe at all and that he can return to the team next Week in primetime as they face the Dolphins. The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to need Kenny Pickett. Even if this season gets out of hand, the team needs to see his development.