Steelers' Cam Heyward Gives Powerful Praise To Kenny Pickett Thinking He "Can Be A Heck Of A Quarterback In This League"

One of the biggest question marks for the Pittsburgh Steelers going into the 2024 season is who the starting quarterback will be. There are multiple options available, such as keeping the guy they spent a first-round draft pick in 2022 on in Kenny Pickett. Or, re-signing Mason Rudolph and giving him the nod since he led them to the playoffs this season. There is a possibility that they go and sign a veteran during free agency, such as Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson, or surprise everyone and use an early draft pick to get someone like Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix. Right now, there is no clear answer as to who the quarterback of the future is for the Steelers.

The Steelers Want To Develop Pickett

From past tendencies that the Steelers have displayed, it is most likely that Pickett will be the guy they end up giving the most opportunity to because they went and used such an early pick on him. But it is not just tendencies on why he will most likely get the opportunity, his teammates seem to be backing him up and trusting in him. Steelers' 2023 captain, Cam Heyward was recently on SportsGrid Radio where he commented that Pickett can definitely improve and be a great quarterback in the NFL.

"I don't think we award people the growth in our league enough. I think there is time to keep improving and I think Kenny can be a heck of a quarterback in this league," commented Heyward.

This kind of encouragement is what is needed if the Steelers want to keep developing Pickett. It also makes you believe that the Steelers could be possibly all in on him for the four or five years that he has until his contract is up. With a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, this could be exactly what Pickett needs to make his name in the league. 

One thing to consider is that Pickett has yet to get the opportunity to play through an entire season. In his rookie year, he rode the bench until the Steelers finally decided to replace Mitch Trubisky for him. Then this season, he wasn't able to take the team into the playoffs due to injury. Statistically, he has played below average throwing just a bit over 4,400 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in his two seasons with the Steelers. However, in the little time that he got to play without Matt Canada as the offensive coordinator, who was fired after the team's Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Pickett began to show his true potential.

As Heyward said, there is time to improve, and Pickett hasn't been given much of a chance to do just that. While fans and people in the league usually jump ship when a player doesn't live up to expectations in their first couple of years, players need this time to develop. If the Indianapolis Colts never let Peyton Manning develop, he probably could have been cut after his first year after throwing 28 interceptions. Now Pickett most likely isn't the next Manning, but he can turn into a solid quarterback in this league.

Although the stats produced by Pickett don't seem to be the greatest on paper, he has one skill set you can't teach and that is being clutch in difficult moments late in the game. He finds ways to win contests even when the odds are stacked against him. It was a big reason why the Steelers somehow managed to find a way in the playoffs last season. It is a big reason why Pickett has the potential to still be a good quarterback in the league, even after having back-to-back disappointing finishes. 

The hope and potential for Kenny Pickett and the Steelers is still there, but he will need a great 2024 season if he gets the starting job. What do you think though, Steeler Nation? Are you comfortable with Pickett as the starter still? Do you think Heyward is right, that there still is time to improve? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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