Ranking every NFL team’s quarterback situation ahead of summer offseason program
By Nick Villano
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
Projected Starter: Kenny Pickett
The Pittsburgh Steelers went for the top quarterback in a weak class, picking up the local kid Kenny Pickett out of Pitt last season. He showed signs of greatness while understanding there was a huge learning curve. He eventually took over for Mitch Trubisky in October. He had seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. This wasn’t a good season, but he was a rookie on a confusing offense.
The big issue here is Matt Canada is still in Pittsburgh. Many thought the Steelers would be looking for a new offensive coordinator, but Mike Tomlin is backing his guy. That might impact how good Pickett is in year two. Still, Pickett has a much higher ceiling in his second year.
The Steelers made an effort to build around Pickett, bringing in Allen Robinson to add to George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, and Pat Friermuth. This is a sneaky-good offense. If Najee Harris is even close to the impactful running back he was at Alabama, and this could be a great offense.
It all comes down to Pickett. Trubisky and the newly re-sign Mason Rudolph are pretty good options behind him, but Tomlin is going to give Pickett every chance to succeed. It will either work, or it won’t. We don’t expect Pickett to finish in this spot on the list. He will either go up or down. It all depends on his growth in the offseason.