The Pittsburgh Steelers briefly transitioned from Ben Roethlisberger to Mitch Trubisky at the beginning of the 2022 season. The experiment lasted through the first half of the fourth game before Mike Tomlin turned to Kenny Pickett to rescue a lethargic offense against the New York Jets. It took four and a half games, but Pickett did turn the offense around and was one of the main catalysts for a 7-2 record after the bye week that almost ended in a playoff berth.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky remains a valuable part of the Steelers, as his veteran leadership is crucial for a young quarterback like Kenny Pickett.
Pickett was hailed as the next franchise quarterback in Pittsburgh. When he posted a perfect preseason, the hype reached a fever pitch before the Steelers met the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of the 2023 season. The offense and Pickett laid an egg. Pickett was expected to rebound against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. He played better than in Week 1, but the Steelers still only managed one offensive touchdown.
Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports
Steelers' Matt Canada (left) and Kenny Pickett (right).
Brooke Pryor, who covers the Steelers for ESPN, joined The Cook & Joe Show on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday to discuss Matt Canada, Pickett, and the Steelers' offensive woes. Joe Starkey, who has been much more critical of the second-year signal caller than most, posed a shocking question to Pryor.
“Brooke, I happen to be one that doesn’t think Kenny Pickett has played well at all,” Starkey stated. “We all dump on Canada, and probably deservedly so. How about criticism of Pickett, and we ask about maybe replacing Canada? What would it take for them to turn to Mitch Trubisky? Do you think that is even a remote possibility?”
Starkey is a curmudgeon, but the suggestion of benching Pickett for Trubisky would be more at home on the Mason Rudolph fanboy portion of social media than on a radio program. The question is way out of bounds after just two substandard games. Pryor was caught off guard by the question, but quickly restored sanity to the proceedings.
“I don’t think it’s a remote possibility,” Pryor responded. “It would take an injury, I think, for Mitch Trubisky to take over for Kenny Pickett. I think that this is a guy they invested a first-round pick in, and they still believe in. I think they would probably want to part with a coordinator before they part with a starting quarterback.”
Steelers' Matt Canada Takes Crushing Blow From Past NFL GM: "He's Not Qualified"
Pryor adamantly dispels the notion that Pickett would find his way in the crosshairs of anyone but the most adamant haters of the second-year signal caller before Canada. The coordinator has dug himself such a deep hole that the vast majority of fans would call for Tomlin and Canada’s heads loudly if they benched Pickett instead of firing the offensive coordinator.
“The thing is, I know that we don’t have a very large sample size of Kenny Pickett,” Pryor added. “From what I saw at the end of last year, and training camp and preseason, yes, it’s a very small sample size. The thing I noticed in all of those instances is his accuracy. I feel like that is what’s been missing. The decision-making hasn’t been there either, that has led to the inaccuracy. It feels very uncharacteristic.”
The 2023 season has seen significant criticism of Pickett's performance over the first two games. Andrew Fillipponi, who is his most vocal supporter, has adjusted his once sky-high expectations for the Steelers quarterback after a very slow start that is cause for concern.
"The thing that I have thought about a lot over the last 24 hours, I look at what’s going on in Chicago with Justin Fields. Kenny Pickett is never going to say I don’t believe in the coaches. He knows what he should say, and that’s what he says. He shoulders a lot of the blame. I do wonder how much of it is coaching. What is he being told in the meetings that he feels like has changed for the worse? Something just feels off."
Pryor is not making excuses for Pickett, but she did completely shut down the ridiculous question about going back to Trubisky. It is fair to wonder if the current backup got a fair chance under Canada to demonstrate what he could do as a starter. However, going back to Trubisky while continuing to employ Canada would be a catastrophic development that fans would not be prepared to tolerate.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin (right) and Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada (left) having a conversation.
Tomlin has made curious coaching decisions in the past that most of the national media has given him a pass for because he manages to find the .500 mark every year. It is hard to believe that anyone at this point would endorse the idea that Pickett is the problem and Canada should remain in his job. Tomlin is a very savvy operator, and stepping on that particular land mine would be akin to career suicide.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is Starkey's suggestion way off base, and did Pryor completely quash it? Please let me know what you think. Comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
#SteelerNation
