It has not been a smooth sophomore campaign for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, who struggled mightily in his team’s Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
As a matter of fact, Pickett has the same amount of touchdown passes (two) since Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Anthony Richardson since Oct. 1 (h/t NFL on CBS).
Why is that significant? Because Richardson has not played since Oct. 8 due to a shoulder injury that knocked him out for the season.
Pickett went just 15-for-28 with 106 yards in the Steelers’ 13-10 loss this past Sunday. On the season overall, he has thrown for 1,722 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 60.5 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 79.2.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Pittsburgh, was selected by Pittsburgh with the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He played in 13 games and made 12 starts during his rookie campaign, finishing with 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine picks while completing 63 percent of his throws and registering a passer rating of 76.7.
Pickett obviously hasn’t taken any major strides this season, which has called into question his standing as the Steelers’ quarterback of the future.
In Pickett’s defense, Pittsburgh’s offense as a while has been a disaster as a whole this year, with the club ranking just 28th in the league in both yards and scoring. That led to the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada on Tuesday.
However, there is also no doubt that Pickett has not exactly helped the Steelers’ offensive issues and has definitely aided in the team’s struggles.
Pittsburgh fell to 6-4 in what was a pivotal defeat at the hands of Cleveland and now sits one-and-a-half games behind the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North. The squad is also a half-game behind the Browns.
The Steelers will look to get back on track when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday. It should be a very winnable game for Kenny Pickett and Co., as the Bengals are now without Joe Burrow for the remainder of the season.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
