Steelers QB Kenny Pickett included in top five passers under 25

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett took his share of lumps during his rookie season in 2022.

However, a 5-1 record down the stretch with 978 passing yards, four touchdowns and just one interception in his final six games turned a few heads as Pickett nearly turned the Steelers’ 2-6 start into a postseason appearance. 

That performance stood out to “Good Morning Football” host Jamie Erdahl, which is why she included Pickett in her top five quarterbacks under 25 rankings on Tuesday.

“He watched (Ben) Roethlisberger play, models now, himself and his game after him, and Kenny Pickett had a heck of a second half of his season once he took over the starting spot in Week 5,” Erdahl said. “He only suffered one loss in his final six games in 2022, and that loss was to the Ravens and he actually got knocked out of that game. … What we hear about him a lot is how he takes command and leadership role on this team, but also the guy can just ball. The way he gets out of the pocket, there are plays that impress us so much after the fact. … He has the kind of special sauce that we all thought we saw to start last season and then he started to show it.”

The first quarterback taken in the 2022 draft, Pickett ended his rookie season with 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns, nine interceptions and a completion percentage of 63 while posting a 7-5 record as Pittsburgh’s starting QB. 

After throwing eight interceptions in his first five starts, Pickett had just one in his final eight games. The 24-year-old signal caller will have even more weapons to throw to next season after the Steelers added Georgia tight end Darnell Washington in the draft and traded for former Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson.

The full top-five QBs under 25 list is below:

1. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
2. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
4. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
5. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers