The Pittsburgh Steelers may be in shambles right now, but after their second disheartening blowout loss of the 2023 season, it's nice to have some good news. On Sunday, quarterback Kenny Pickett went down clutching his left knee and the fear is that he could miss a few games. Now he might not miss any time at all.
On Wednesday morning, Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan had a source tell him that Pickett will play against the Ravens. By the afternoon, we are getting this confirmation from Pickett himself.
Pickett spoke with the media today, where he left no doubt, saying that he will be 'ready to go by Sunday', via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett says he’ll be “ready to go by Sunday”
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) October 4, 2023
He also said he was worried the knee injury would be worse based on what the doctors said initially, and he got lucky. pic.twitter.com/m5mSeimmwk
This is extremely encouraging news. Pickett walked back on his words ever so slightly saying, "I think by Sunday I'll be good." Based on his interaction with the Steelers media, however, it certainly seems like he is going to suit up and play against the Baltimore Ravens this week.
Steelers need Kenny Pickett to play
Despite his struggles early in the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to see Kenny Pickett on the field. Pickett clearly has plenty of things to work on, and we know that he was the guy drafted to be the franchise quarterback (not Mitch Trubisky or Mason Rudolph).
This doesn't mean that he is guaranteed to live up to lofty expectations as a former first-round pick, but they need to see him in action as much as they possibly can. Throughout the season, he's either going to show improvement and be the guy they can count on, or they will be able to tell if they need to start making future arrangements at the QB position.
Pickett does get a tall task in his first action after suffering the bone bruise against the Texans next week, as he goes up against a stout Ravens defense. Baltimore is currently third in the NFL in scoring defense -- allowing just 14.5 points per game, per Team Rankings.
Meanwhile, the Steelers average just 12.0 offensive points per contest (excluding two defensive scores by T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith back in Week 2). The offensive sample has been poor, to say the least, and Pickett is on track for another rough season.
It's time to show that he can be the quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers need. If he does indeed play this week (like he claims he will), it will be important to avoid any further setbacks. The Steelers have a bye next week, and he can use this time to rest up and go back to the drawing board.
Still, fans should be encouraged that his injury wasn't more serious. Kenny Pickett will be out to prove himself in a pivotal game against the Ravens. The winner will have possession of first place in the AFC North entering Week 6.