Steelers Kenny Pickett headed in the right direction as starting quarterback

The jury may still be out about Kenny Pickett’s long-term role as the Steelers heir to Ben Roethlisberger. Yet, he seems to be improving every game.

Overall his starting record is 6-5 if you discount the first game against Baltimore, in which he left the game after one pass attempt with a concussion. Not exactly the same as Ben Roethlisberger’s 15-0 start to his career. Nonetheless, some positives can not be easily discounted.

The fallacy of Pickett’s hand size

Many feared his hand size could be a detriment. So far, that has proved to be far from the case. His hand size has not adversely affected his ability to pass the ball. Considering Michael Vick and Jeff Blake were the only objective comparisons concerning small quarterback hand size before the 2022 season started, drafting Pickett seemed risky. Since he assumed the starting position, the topic has never come up. It appears to be a moot point at this juncture.

Pickett plays very similarly to Ben Roethlisberger for Steelers

In watching Pickett play, there is no doubt he has and still does make some mistakes as he matures. Yet he has poise which, to a large degree, is similar to that of Ben Roethlisberger. Moreover, his play on the field sometimes feels like a Roethlisberger-style game. For years throughout Roethlisberger’s career, the Steelers offense would sputter most of the game, not scoring points. Then when the offense had to deliver, Big Ben upped his game and found a way to win. When the steelers entered the 2 minuted phase of any football game, very few quarterbacks ran it better than Big Ben.

Now, look at Pickett. In his last game, the Steelers offense sputtered for three and a half quarters, only managing three field goals. Then the game’s last drive, he moves the ball down the field, and they score a touchdown and take the lead. He did the same thing against the Raiders and played a similar game against the Saints.

Kenny Pickett is a better Steelers rusher than Big Ben

Kenny Pickett has yet one additional factor in his favor as well. Pickett has similar but better mobility than Ben Roethlisberger. Face it, Big Ben was a master of extending plays to make the big play. Yet he was never a major rushing threat. He had a combined total of 213 rushing yards in his first two seasons. Kenny Pickett, in 12 games, already has 236 rushing yards. Pickett is not posting as many rushing yards as Kordell Stewart (537 in 2001) as a quarterback, but he can move the ball better with his feet downfield than Big Ben ever did.

The point is while he is still a work in progress, he has shown he is capable of big things; he plays more like a veteran than a rookie and should get even better entering the 2023 season. If the Steelers can improve the offensive line, too, Pickett may have a ways to go before he hits his ceiling.

Nevertheless, not everyone may be sold on Pickett as the Steelers future. That’s understandable; he still has a ways to go before he is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Still, you have to like the direction he’s headed. If the Steelers get a new offensive coordinator in 2023, that could even play to Pickett’s advantage. George Pickens may become a more pivotal receiver in 2023 and perhaps surpass Diontae Johnson as the Steelers number one receiver. It’s also likely the Steelers will find some additional offensive weapons in 2023 for Pickett to utilize.

Pickett is evolving in a positive direction and growing into the role of the Steelers leader. Sure we may need one or two more seasons to see how well he progresses from his rookie season, but so far, the signs are pointing in a positive direction.