Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett had another rough outing this past Sunday, going just 15-for-28 with 106 yards in a 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers ultimately fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada on Tuesday, which many felt was a long time coming as the team’s offense has languished all season long.
Pittsburgh ranks just 28th in both yardage and scoring.
However, Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd thinks that most of the blame falls on Pickett, who he thinks has regressed in his sophomore campaign.
On the season overall, Pickett 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 the Steelers with the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He played in 13 games and made 12 starts during his rookie year, totaling 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine picks while completing 63 percent of his throws and registering a passer rating of 76.7.
Pittsburgh has been able to remain competitive in spite of his struggles, as the club went 7-5 in his 12 starts last season and has gone 6-4 this year.
However, it’s becoming more and more questionable as to whether or not Pickett is actually the Steelers’ answer under center for the long haul.
In Pickett’s defense, Canada’s play-calling has largely been derided as miserable this season. But at the same time, Pickett has some solid weapons in the aerial attack, and at some point, a quarterback needs to make things happen on his own in order to establish himself as the future of the franchise.
Even in the Steelers’ wins this season, their offense has been largely ineffective, thanks much in part to Pickett’s inability to consistently make big plays.
Still, Pittsburgh is just a game-and-a-half behind the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North.
Kenny Pickett and Co. will take on the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.
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