A new week brings a new era to the Pittsburgh Steelers: the Kenny Pickett era.
The 20th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft replaced inconsistent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in the second half of last Sunday’s 20-24 loss to the New York Jets. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards. Unfortunately, all three incompletions landed in the hands of Jets defenders for critical interceptions.
Pickett performed best while running rather than throwing. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to score two rushing touchdowns in his first career game. Having all of his 13 passes avoid hitting the ground set a plainer record as well.
The performance impressed Mike Tomlin enough to make a change.
The #Steelers are expected to move forward with rookie QB Kenny Pickett, sources say, as the first-rounder is set to replace Mitch Trubisky in the lineup. Pickett saw his first action on Sunday and is slated to be the QB moving forward. pic.twitter.com/Lc2ZiMerlg
— NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 3, 2022
The switch comes as no surprise to Steelers fans or anyone who has followed Trubisky’s career. The first-round pick flashed glimpses of promise, but never gelled under former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy’s system and ultimately never stuck as the franchise quarterback he was drafted to become. The Chicago media and unprofessional faithful abhorred the fact that infamous former general manager Ryan Pace could’ve drafted league superstar Patrick Mahomes instead.
Redemption wasn’t in the steel cards Pittsburgh deals. Trubisky struggled to find the right rhythm, completing under 60 percent of his pass attempts this season while only throwing 2 touchdowns against 2 interceptions.
Quarterback issues haven’t plagued most of Tomlin’s storied tenure. Likely Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger’s big arm and toughness guided the Steelers to a Super Bowl win. The Steelers made two appearances and 7 years of at least 10 wins from 2007 through 2021. The Steelers were one of the most surefire NFL betting options during that time.
The unique, current situation recalls when the Steelers experimented with Kordell “Slash” Stewart’s gifted athleticism in the 1990s. Most teams scoffed at run-first quarterbacks during that time, preferring the steadiness of pocket passers like Troy Aikman or Brett Favre. Pickett fits with today’s NFL that necessitates strong mobility in a time when every position runs faster than ever.
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