Prominent NFL personality has strong take on Steelers QB Kenny Pickett
While the entire NFL world debates Patrick Mahomes vs Joe Burrow and continues to wait on the Green Bay Packers to trade Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, there's a young AFC quarterback who's primed to have a big year in 2023. It seems like no one is talking about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny […]
While the entire NFL world debates Patrick Mahomes vs Joe Burrow and continues to wait on the Green Bay Packers to trade Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, there's a young AFC quarterback who's primed to have a big year in 2023.
It seems like no one is talking about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett this offseason (at least no one outside of Pittsburgh).
The No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft had a strong finish to his rookie season, but that hasn't seemed to generate much hype this offseason for the former Pittsburgh Panthers standout.
There's one prominent NFL personality, however, signing Pickett's praises this offseason.
NFL Network's Kyle Brandt, one of the co-hosts of "Good Morning Football", made it clear this week that he's buying stock in Pickett in 2023.
"I don't know if we've talked to this guy, but I'm into Kenny Pickett," said Brandt this week. "I'm developing a sort of football crush on Kenny Pickett. Kenny Pickett, this sleepy little run (last season), won his last five games that he started and finished. He threw one interception in his last eight games. He had two game-winning touchdown passes in the final minute of the fourth quarter, the first rookie in history to do it."
"Guys, I like Kenny Pickett," continued Brandt. "And I know they're (Steelers) not super sexy. And it's not this guy and that guy in (Joe) Burrow, (Josh) Allen, and (Patrick) Mahomes. How cool would it be if in that crazy AFC quarterback fray, another challenger arose? And we're like wow, Pickett's really slick at slinging it."
"If you Google Kenny Pickett right now, there's just nothing," added Brandt. "There's no story. There's no Instagram posts. There's no tweet. There's no cool thing of him working out with teammates. It's Mike Tomlin saying 'we're excited about his second year'. It's so Pittsburgh. It's just perfect. Lowkey workmanlike. I love how he finished the year. I love how he's going to start next year…I like him. I like the way he conducts his business. I like what Pittsburgh is doing very quietly around them. 17th pick no one's talking about it. I like Pickett."
Folks outside of Pittsburgh really are sleeping on Pickett this offseason. But Pickett and the Steelers probably wouldn't have it any other way.
While everyone talks about whether or not the Bengals can get past the Chiefs in the playoffs or how the Lamar Jackson saga will play out with the Ravens, Pickett and his teammates are quietly putting in work and hoping to pick up where they left off last season.
Don't be surprised if the Steelers are the team that ends up winning the AFC North in 2023 behind a strong performance from Kenny Pickett. Kyle Brandt certainly won't be surprised.
