For fans holding out hope that the Pittsburgh Steelers would make upgrading the quarterback position a priority this offseason, you might not want to hold your breath. Omar Khan finally got the opportunity to speak to the media during NFL Combine Week, but he said the words that every fan dreaded to hear.
The Steelers' general manager was asked about whether he believes in Kenny Pickett or if the former first-round quarterback needs to show him something in his third year. Without hesitation, Khan said that he has 'full faith' in Pickett. Here's the full video, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
Steelers GM Omar Khan says he has “full faith” in Kenny Pickett pic.twitter.com/p3Ooefacoi
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) February 29, 2024
Khan noted that there were issues with Pittsburgh's offense during the 2023 season, but that wasn't enough to sway him from giving a glowing endorsement to the lone quarterback on the Steelers' roster entering the 2024 season.
Head coach Mike Tomlin similarly remarks regarding Pickett during his end-of-the-season media session where he gave a resounding, 'Yes' when asked if the starting quarterback for the 2024 season was already on the roster.
Khan recently expressed his interest in having Mason Rudolph return to the Steelers on a new contract, but Rudolph is a free agent who could test the free agent market before deciding on where he will be playing next season.
Omar Khan's comments should be concerning to Steelers fans
We know how this PR stuff goes sometimes. Obviously, Omar Khan doesn't want to upset the only quarterback under contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers by saying the wrong words to the media.
At the same time, Khan's remarks are a bit troubling. Does he really believe that Kenny Pickett is the quarterback of the future? If so, we might have an issue that is far greater than anything the Steelers choose to do during free agency or the NFL Draft this year.
In his first two seasons in the NFL, Pickett has strung together just 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 25 games -- equating to a dismal passer rating of just 78.8 entering his third season. Though he does boast a 14-10 record as a starter, most Steelers fans understand that this has much more to do with T.J. Watt and the defense rather than Pickett handling business on the offensive side of the ball. Pittsburgh scored just 16.9 offensive points per game last year (when you take away their defense and special teams scores).
Khan's misplaced confidence in Pickett is also showing up at the 2024 NFL Combine, as there have been no reports of the Pittsburgh Steelers meeting with any of the quarterbacks on hand. While this doesn't mean that the team won't draft one, it's odd to see that they aren't taking advantage of this opportunity to meet with the best QBs in the country.
One of the biggest fears Steelers fans have had this offseason is that Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan would be willing to 'run it back' with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph this year. When looking at the stacked quarterbacks in the AFC, it's very easy to see how this is going to end up falling short.
Let's hope that Khan's comments are simply for PR purposes and that he has something else in mind when it comes to the quarterback outlook for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.