Pittsburgh Steelers have ‘complete faith in QB Kenny Pickett,’ GM Omar Khan says.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have “full faith” in their sophomore quarterback (QB) Kenny Pickett, despite his poor 2023 season, according to general manager Omar Khan at the NFL scouting combine on Thursday.
Pickett was picked by the Steelers with the 20th pick in 2022. Last season, he played 12 games before suffering a high ankle sprain against the Arizona Cardinals on December 3, 2023. He underwent TightRope surgery as a result. Though Pickett was cleared to return at the end of the regular season, the Steelers elected to stick with Mason Rudolph.
The Steelers went 7-5 under Pickett, who completed 201 of 324 passes for six touchdowns and four turnovers. He also carried for 54 yards and a touchdown on 42 carries. Rudolphi, on the other hand, completed 55 of 74 passes for 719 yards and three touchdowns while throwing no interceptions. The squad won all three regular-season games in which he started.
Rudolph completed 22 of 39 passes for 229 yards, two touchdowns, and one turnover in the Steelers’ 31-17 American Football Conference (AFC) Wild Card loss against the Buffalo Bills. He will become a free agent this offseason. Mitch Trubisky, the team’s third-string quarterback, was also cut, leaving Pickett as the lone option at the position.
“I have full faith in Kenny,” Khan stated. “He’s showed us some nice things, but there were clearly some concerns with the offense. I’m excited about the influence that [new offensive coordinator] Arthur Smith will have on him. Arthur is extremely positive about Kenny, and they communicated. As I have stated, we will have some tough competition there, and we’ll see where it goes. I feel pretty pleased about him.”
However, no matter how much “faith” the Steelers have in Pickett, having only one quarterback on the roster is unrealistic. According to ESPN, coach Mike Tomlin wants Pickett to face competition. Khan intended to have three quarterbacks under Smith.
However, no matter how much “faith” the Steelers have in Pickett, having only one quarterback on the roster is unrealistic. According to ESPN, coach Mike Tomlin wants Pickett to face competition. Khan intended to have three quarterbacks under Smith.
“I’m not going to go into details about the conversations that we’ve had,” Khan was quoted as saying. “But I can tell you that I have an obligation to look at every avenue that’s out there to try to make us a better football team.”
Rudolph is a free agent, so the Steelers can sign him back. Other possibilities, such as Justin Fields of the Chicago Cubs or Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos, are available for the team to pursue either through trade or free agent signing.
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