New Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith may have revealed that the team will be rolling with Kenny Pickett at quarterback next season.
During his first interview since landing the job with the Steelers, Smith mentioned Pickett when discussing what his role will be in his new digs.
“There’s a relationship that’s got to be built between me and Kenny,” Smith told Missi Matthews of Pittsburgh’s official team website. “And that’s so paramount between the play caller and the quarterback. The quarterback is obviously the one out there between the white lines, and there’s a trust that’s going to be built daily, and it goes both ways. I’ve got to earn Kenny’s trust and vice versa as we build this offense and all the things we want to work on, and we want him to work on and take command of this offense.”
While Smith’s comments don’t necessarily guarantee that Pickett will be the starting quarterback in 2024, they certainly indicate that he is the favorite to win the job as of right now.
Pickett is going into his third NFL season and has not exactly inspired much confidence.
He made 12 starts this past year, throwing for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 62 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 81.4.
The 25-year-old ended up suffering an ankle injury that required surgery during the second half of the campaign, but he was expected to return later in the season.
Instead, Pickett was benched in favor of Mason Rudolph, who ended up leading the Steelers to the playoffs.
That obviously was not a very good look for Pickett, and it has fueled speculation that Pittsburgh will be searching for another quarterback this offseason.
Again, it’s entirely possible that the Steelers do look to upgrade under center in the coming months. Perhaps they go after Russell Wilson. Maybe they’ll make a play for Justin Fields. They could also always trade up for a quarterback in the draft.
All of that being said, Arthur Smith seems committed to Kenny Pickett as of right now. Then again, he may not have much of a choice at the moment.
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