The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason plans have been the source of ridicule from the national media when they have been discussed at all. Specifically, Fox Sports has taken a couple of gratuitous shots at the Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett. There has been a vocal minority outside of Pittsburgh that has heavily criticized the second-year signal-caller as, at best, a project and at worst, a mistake.
Mike Florio, who is not one of those voices, was joined on his Pro Football Talk show on NBC Sports by Peter King, and they conducted a four-round draft of quarterbacks under 25 who they would like to have for the remainder of their careers. King, who has covered the NFL for nearly 40 years and who writes the Football Morning in America nationally syndicated column, started with Jalen Hurts as his first-round draft pick.
Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence followed closely behind, but then the list got weird. Justin Fields was the fourth pick, despite his struggles as a passer. He is an elite runner, but has shown very little in the passing game. Daniel Jones and Kyler Murray followed after Fields and then King revealed a surprise with his final pick:
“I think I am going to take Mac Jones over Kenny Pickett,” King said. “I am going to go with Mac Jones because I trust Bill O’Brien. I think he is going to remodel him as a pocket passer who can leave when he has to. Only thing that worries me about him is the weapons.”
King was taking a direct shot at Matt Canada with the selection of Jones over Pickett, and he wasn’t shy about it. He didn’t directly criticize the Steelers' offensive coordinator, but citing the Patriots’ offensive coordinator as justification for passing over Pickett for the potentially weaponless Jones, who regressed substantially as his second season went on, was an eye-opening assessment of the much more talented skill position players in Pittsburgh:
“You didn’t even struggle between Mac Jones and Tua [Tagovailoa], you said Kenny Pickett,” Florio responded. “I gotta go with Tua. Not making the list along with Davis Mills are Brock Purdy, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson along with Kenny Pickett.”
It is hard to argue that Tua Tagovailoa is not the clear choice for Florio since he was on the board. The surprising thing was that Fields and Jones, who have endured heavy criticism so far this offseason, were selected before the Miami Dolphins QB who was an MVP candidate this season before injuries slowed him, and the troubled, yet supremely talented, Murray. Pickett should have undoubtedly made the list before the Patriots quarterback.
The former Pitt Panther proved he could win games late and posted a 7-5 record as a starter for the Steelers in a rookie season that saw tremendous growth. Canada’s simplistic offense not only held back Pittsburgh in 2022, but now it is holding Pickett back from being considered as one of the top eight quarterbacks in his age bracket.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Takes Flak From Multiple Sources About His Future In Pittsburgh
King and Florio did not disparage Pickett in any way, which was refreshing. The pair of veteran NFL observers did end up putting him on a list with Zach Wilson and Davis Mills. The reasoning behind the decision by King should be cause for renewed alarm about the 2023 season.
The Steelers made a significant run at the playoffs going 7-2 down the stretch by balancing the offense and relying on the running game. Pickett demonstrated proficiency in the passing game when given the opportunity in the second half of the season, but the question is, can he overcome Canada’s play-calling with talent in 2023? The PFT commentators don’t think so. The Steelers and their fans have to hope they are wrong.
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