Steelers veteran pinpoints the one big difference between Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson had a front-row seat to watch Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph this past season. Pickett led the Steelers in pass attempts (324) in the 2023 campaign. The Steelers called on Rudolph to lead the way at quarterback over the latter stages of the season. Overall, Rudolph attempted 113 passes in […]
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson had a front-row seat to watch Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph this past season.
Pickett led the Steelers in pass attempts (324) in the 2023 campaign. The Steelers called on Rudolph to lead the way at quarterback over the latter stages of the season. Overall, Rudolph attempted 113 passes in the year, including the playoffs.
Peterson came away from the season with multiple takeaways from the play of both Pickett and Rudolph. For one, he sees that Rudolph has one clear advantage over Pickett as a passer.
"Mason is not afraid to take chances as a quarterback, pushing the ball down the field," Peterson said on the "All Things Covered" podcast. "He's going to stand in the pocket like he's not going to be afraid to take that pressure. I think what hurts Kenny is, he retrieves too much, so he makes it easier for him to get corralled in the pocket, and it makes the defender's job that much easier because now he can't set up into his throw and deliver the ball with the right amount of velocity or power that he needs to.
"And that's why you saw a big difference on the offenses because we was basically running the same stuff, run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, take our shots, run a couple slants."
Peterson went on to bring up Rudolph’s 34-yard completion to George Pickens in the Steelers’ road win against the Seattle Seahawks as an example of just how the veteran passer has the "ability to stand strong in the pocket and deliver those balls, take those shots."
Peterson does back Pickett to be the Steelers’ go-to quarterback in the 2024 season, and he hopes that the second-year passer will spend this offseason looking to "stand strong in the pocket."
Pickett is set to at the least receive the opportunity to be Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback this year.
