The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation has been the hottest topic of the 2024 offseason, and the conversations about it actually began before the 2023 NFL season ended. Currently, third-year quarterback Kenny Pickett is the only player the Steelers have under contract at the position. They have been connected to Justin Fields and are expected to make an attempt to bring back Mason Rudolph for the 2024 season. Pickett is not expected to be the surefire starter for his third year in the league, and he will have to compete for the starting job with whoever the front office brings in.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) can't seem to shake his tendency to miss games due to injury, making it harder to evaluate the young passer.
Pickett has certainly struggled so far in his young career, however it is hard to tell whether or not his struggles are his fault alone, or if it's because of former Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada. Canada ran one of the worst offenses in the NFL, and Pickett has played in that offense in every game of his professional career (and has only played in one and a half games that haven't been called by Canada). The Steelers brought in Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator, and according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the two have been spending time together and had a meeting in Florida.
"I'm told new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith recently spent time with Pickett in South Florida and that the two had a 'great' meeting. The sentiment among many here in Indy - including some with the team - was that Pickett could get another chance after a disastrous 2023 season due in part to the offense's overall struggles under then-OC Matt Canada. Smith should help maximize Pickett's skill set."
Smith has been successful as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, and he is known for running a quarterback-friendly offense. During the 2020 NFL season, Smith led the Tennessee Titans offense and Ryan Tannehill to the one seed in the AFC. Tannehill was eighth in the NFL in passing touchdowns in 2019 and 2020. During those two seasons, Smith's offense had Tannehill throw for over 6,500 yards, 55 touchdowns, and just 13 interceptions. This gives a good idea of how successful a quarterback can be in Smith's system, and what Pickett could potentially do in his third season.
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Steelers' new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith with the Tennessee Titans.
Despite Pickett having a record of 14-6 in games that he has started and finished, he still gets a lot of hate for his statistics. In his two seasons in the NFL, Pickett has thrown just 13 touchdowns, while also throwing 13 interceptions. Pickett has thrown for just under 4,500 yards, and has a remarkably low rate of throwing a touchdown on just 1.8% of his passes. Pickett has certainly had some struggles early on in his career, but it is not all on him.
Canada was one of the worst offensive coordinators in the NFL. During his tenure as offensive coordinator, the offense never eclipsed 400 total yards in a game. The first game following Canada's dismissal, the offense exploded for 421 yards and Pickett arguably had the best game of his career in a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Pickett was unfortunately injured the following week however, and he did not play again during the 2023 season.
Pickett will now be playing in a quarterback-friendly offense, and should be able to get some confidence back after all the struggles so far in his career. He will still have to earn his job back, as he will likely have to compete with Rudolph, Fields, or another quarterback option the front office brings in.
AP
The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied from behind, led by quarterback Kenny Pickett, against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7.
Steelers Still A Player In The Justin Fields Sweepstakes
The Steelers have been connected with the Chicago Bears and have reportedly been discussing getting a deal done to bring Fields to Pittsburgh. Adam Schefter most recently confirmed that the Steelers were involved with Chicago, and they are one of a few teams who have actually reached out to the Bears. Now ESPN Senior Reporter Jeremey Fowler is reporting that Steelers are one of four teams still involved with a new team, the Vikings, coming into the equation. But it seems unlikely the Bears will trade Fields to a division rival.
"The major quarterback domino that many are waiting to fall is Chicago's Justin Fields decision. Chicago has not played its hand, and several league sources believe Fields -- who has not requested a trade -- could probably garner a Day 2 pick in a potential deal. There's no firm deadline on a trade, though the start of free agency is sort of a soft one. Chicago will need multiple teams in the fray to drive a market, and after asking around, I expect Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Minnesota to be on the radar.," Fowler said.
It's been reported that the asking price for Fields is somewhere in the area of a second-round pick paired with another mid-round selection. But with the market not nearly as hot as the Bears would have hoped the price could be going down by the hour. The Bears may be better off waiting for free agency to begin before they deal Fields because of the Falcons reported interest in Kirk Cousins. If the Falcons aren't able to sign Cousins, it could put Fields at the top of their list. The next few days will be interesting.
What do you think about Pickett and Smith's meeting? Let us know in the comments below!
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