Kenny Pickett showed signs of a franchise QB in Steelers loss vs Bengals

Pickett’s ability to extend the play raises the upside of Steelers offense

Having plus mobility hasn’t been a requirement for a franchise quarterback in the past, but in today’s ever-changing game, perhaps it almost should be. If you look at the top quarterbacks around the league right now, every single one of them has the ability to raise the ceiling of the offense because of their ability to extend the play.

This doesn’t simply mean that a quarterback needs to take off and run with the football if nothing is there. While Pickett can certainly do this (as we saw against the Bengals and Saints), it’s more important that he uses his mobility to make the first guy miss, keep his eyes down the field, and extend the play.

In terms of doing these things, I thought this was Pickett’s most encouraging game with the Steelers to date. On numerous occasions, the rookie quarterback found a crease, got outside the pocket, and delivered an accurate throw on the run.

Obviously, quarterbacks must have the ability to consistently pass from the pocket, but making plays outside of structure is a real treat that can keep drives alive and raises the upside of the offense. Pickett has this ability, it just needs to be refined a bit.