Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Why Kenny Pickett's Week 17 inactive tag means trouble is brewing

Ahead of the Steelers' Week 17 win against the Seahawks, the belief was that QB Kenny Pickett would backup QB Mason Rudolph. However, Pickett was later deemed inactive for the contest, which has some thinking the quarterback room isn't as cohesive as many believed.

Pickett was very unhappy that he wasn't starting in Seattle and him being inactive was a direct result of that, according to Chris Mueller of Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan.

In the days leading up to the game, Pickett, who's been recovering from ankle surgery, thought he was healthy enough to play.

"I feel like I could [play this week]," Pickett said. "I always try to push myself. It's the trainers. It's the coaches. It's what they see me moving and how they want to go about it."

Pickett didn't get his wish, however, and the same will remain true this week now that head coach Mike Tomlin named Rudolph the starter for the third straight week.

"I think Kenny's availability is less in question this week," Tomlin told reporters. "That being said, we're going to leave the ball in Mason Rudolph's hands."

Pickett's health is no longer in question, but the Steelers are sticking with Rudolph's hot hand. The six-year veteran has thrown for 564 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions the past two weeks and has the NFL's best passer rating (115.3) this season (min. 50 attempts).

Pickett has continued to underwhelm in his second season, throwing for just 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games.

If Rudolph can stay hot and deliver Pittsburgh its third straight win in its regular-season finale against the Ravens (13-3) on Saturday, Pickett's days as the team's starter may already be over.

However it plays out, the Steelers have a quarterback controversy brewing, and it seems Pickett won't go down quietly.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Connor McDavid, Oilers hammer Canucks to force Game 7
Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa lead at PGA Championship
Mystik Dan comes up short at Preakness, denied shot at Triple Crown
Seize the Grey wins in muddy Preakness
Panthers star named winner of 2024 Selke Trophy
Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk epic increases excitement for potential rematch
Knicks could get major boost for Game 7 showdown with Pacers
WNBA to investigate $100,000 sponsorship deals for Aces players
Tiger Woods blames one big factor for missing the cut at PGA Championship
Giants All-Star pitcher suffers setback in recovery from injury
Watch: Juan Soto's first multi-homer game as a Yankee
'Ain't good enough': Draymond Green claims Celtics must 'win it all' or it's a 'failure'
Blue Jays GM wants struggling club to feel 'massive sense of urgency'
Raptors expected to flip former NBA champion during the offseason
MLB insider reveals Mets' massive extension offer that Pete Alonso turned down
Celtics legend provides update after gruesome finger injury
Bulls hire former NBA head coach as top assistant
Chiefs move on from young running back
20-year MLB veteran working out, unsure about playing future
USA Hockey names HC for 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympics

Want more sports news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.