The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team flying under the radar heading into the 2023 season. When people discuss dark horse contenders, the Steelers are rarely mentioned. People forgetting about them will be reminded very quickly that this is a team that can make a lot of noise in the upcoming season.
Pittsburgh finished the 2022 campaign on fire, winning four in a row to close out the season and six of their last seven. While it didn’t result in a playoff berth, there isn’t a team in the NFL that has as much momentum heading into 2023 as the Steelers.
This is a team loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. After addressing arguably their two biggest needs in the offseason, the offensive line and cornerback depth, this is a team poised to pick up right where they left off.
A big reason for the optimism in Pittsburgh is the potential for their offense. If Kenny Pickett can continue his clutch, turnover-free play that he showcased after the bye in 2022, there is going to be a lot of winning behind done in the fall and winter.
Pickett’s chemistry with emerging star wide receiver George Pickens is another reason people are excited about this offense. Pickens has been a human highlight reel all offseason, making play after play in training camp.
During a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Pickens’ star teammate, T.J. Watt, shared some praise of the young wide receiver as well. “George Pickens is a genetic freak and I still don’t think he understands how good he is,” the former Defensive Player of the Year winner said.
Watt isn’t the first person to heap praise on the second-year Georgia product and he certainly won’t be the last. Pickens has the potential to become a star in this league with his combination of size, speed and athleticism, which enables him to make circus highlight reel catches look easy.
As a rookie, Pickens caught 52 passes for 801 yards and four touchdowns. It would not be surprising to see all of those numbers increase steadily in 2023 as he is developing into Pickett’s go-to weapon down the field.
