Steelers: Kenny Pickett is on the rise
Kenny Pickett was taken in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in April, which brought high expectations. Added to it, was the fact that Pickett was following future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, making the pressure even greater for the New Jersey native. Pickett hasn't backed down from the task of being […]
Kenny Pickett was taken in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in April, which brought high expectations. Added to it, was the fact that Pickett was following future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, making the pressure even greater for the New Jersey native.
Pickett hasn't backed down from the task of being the guy in Pittsburgh. The argument can be made he's thrived a bit. On Saturday, Pickett led the Steelers on a 10-play drive that was capped off by a touchdown pass to fellow rookie George Pickens, giving the Steelers a 13-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The former ACC Offensive Player of the Year was surgical on the Steelers' final possession. Pickett completed seven of his nine passes for 75 yards, posting a 138.4 passer rating. Now Pickett has multiple game-winning drives on his resume already, not bad for a first-year quarterback.
What made Pickett's clutch play so special was the circumstances of the game. The Steelers were celebrating the 50th anniversary of "The Immaculate Reception" when Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris scored with just seconds left for the organization's first-ever playoff win. Also, Harris was set to have his jersey retired.
Unfortunately for the Steelers and the NFL, Harris shockingly passed away, breaking the hearts of many around the league. However, Pickett feels the Steelers' legend wasn't far away on Christmas Eve.
"I felt like he was with us tonight," Pickett said.
Pickett is certainly a work in progress, as is the case with all rookie quarterbacks. But, Pickett has already made an impression on his teammates, in particular, running back Najee Harris.
"He competes every day in practice," Harris said on the NFL Network's post-game panel. "He always keeps everybody's heads up. He's a real-life competitor man. I should tip my hat off. We all should tip our hat off to Kenny because for him to come in here as a rookie and just take over this role in this organization and I think he's doing a really good job."
Pickett has arrived, and he can only go up from here.
Feature image via Michael Longo/For USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
