The Pittsburgh Steelers searched high and low for their next quarterback and ended up with the guy next door in Kenny Pickett. Now, the Pitt QB dresses in black and gold with extra pressure on replacing a future Hall of Famer.
"You know, it's interesting, well, we circled the globe or at least the United States here the last several months, man, just exploring and researching, and it's funny, we ended up with a guy from next door," head coach Mike Tomlin said.
And it's true. Everyone believed the Steelers weren't searching for the guy across the hall, but Pittsburgh kept the hometown hero in the city.
Now, he's set to face even more pressure in his first NFL season, but Pickett isn't worried.
"It's the National Football League, man, so there's pressure always," Pickett said on a conference call after the pick. "I love playing football. I love playing the game. This has been my whole entire life. I'm so excited to get with new teams, new coaches. Matt Canada, who I was recruited by, I can finally play with him and get coached by him. We're going to be spending a hell of a lot of time together to say the least. So, I'm incredibly excited to get there. But the pressure is always there. It's the business."
That business will start by competing for the starting quarterback job with Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. Many assumed Trubisky was the starter in 2022, but Pickett brings NFL-readiness to the Steelers, making the QB battle much more interesting.
"I'm pretty familiar with competing. I've been doing it my whole life," Pickett said, "So, I know how to be a good teammate and compete at the same time. I'm excited to join the quarterback room, get to know those guys and honestly just get better every day. We're all chasing a championship, so at the end of the day that's all that matters. That's what I'm excited to go do."
Pickett walks into the locker room as a known name in the Steel City. The expectations are higher than they would be for most other rookies, but the Heisman finalist isn't troubled.
The kid next door is ready for the added pressure.
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