Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Quarterback Kenny Pickett broke out in his senior year of college at the University of Pittsburgh. As a result, he rose up draft boards significantly, ending up as a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. In the process, he's drawn comparisons to several NFL quarterbacks, current and past, from Derek Carr to Joe Burrow.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 20: T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Alex Highsmith #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers sack Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium on November 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Doug Whaley, Senior Vice President of the XFL and former General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, appeared on The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan. If the name seems very familiar, well, the Steelers interviewed him twice last offseason for their GM opening. Omar Khan ended up taking the job, but Whaley was under deep consideration.
The Steelers are a hot topic of debate at the moment, especially with their 4-7 record. Head Coach Mike Tomlin will likely end with his first below-.500 season in his career unless the black and gold can win five of their last six games. Pickett, just seven starts into his NFL career, continues to show some growth. When the topic of the rookie quarterback came up, Whaley, a guy with plenty of knowledge, had this to say:
"I don't know if he will ever be this guy, and I'm not comparing him to this guy," Whaley said on 93.7 The Fan. "There's a guy who had a Hall of Fame career, but didn't have superior physical skills. Joe Montana."
Photo Credit: Buffalo News
Before you freak out, no, he's not comparing Pickett to Montana. He's comparing the lack of physical skills between the two. Neither has the size of a Justin Herbert or the arm of a Josh Allen. This is perhaps the biggest criticism of Pickett coming out of college last year. That, along with the fact that he had just one elite season at the college level and was nearly 24 years old.
It's part of the reason why Burrow has been a constant comparison for Pickett. Like Pickett, Burrow had just one elite college season, but he's proved in the NFL that he wasn't just a one-hit-wonder. At this point, Steelers fans would love to have their rookie quarterback turn into a guy like Joe Burrow. While he's still young in his career, Pickett has shown immense progression over the past few weeks, something that gets people eager for the future in Pittsburgh.
Steelers Kenny Pickett (8) / Photo Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
What do you think about these comments from Whaley? Who is the best comparison for Pickett as a quarterback? What is your long-term outlook on Pittsburgh's QB1? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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