Analyst Blasts Steelers QB Kenny Pickett, Compares Him to Zach Wilson

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett against the Green Bay Packers, Nov. 12, 2023 - Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Kenny Pickett has stats that are far from glamorous. But they have led to wins, as Pickett has yet to turn the ball over at a high rate, giving Pittsburgh enough to latch onto offensively and drive the group toward a winning method. Even if his play is not popping off the tape, that is something he has done well, and Pittsburgh is 6-3 in tandem with the defense’s ability to produce turnovers.

“You’ve got to win at all costs in this game,” Pickett said. “That’s all I truly care about. Of course, you want to light up the stat sheet, but as long as we’re getting the wins, I’m okay with that. I sleep good with getting a win. So, keep pushing, keep having that mindset, stay together as a group and we’ll be alright.”

After all, it’s not like this is the first time Mike Tomlin has made some magic with a team winning more than its fair share of close games. But people are becoming increasingly critical of his play. One of those guys is Peter King, who does not understand how Pittsburgh continues to win games with Kenny Pickett at the helm. In fact, King thinks that Pickett looks a lot like Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.

“You know what’s amazing? That Kenny Pickett in his last six games, this is six games, not one or two, the last six games he has thrown two touchdown passes,” King said. “He’s like Zach Wilson West. How in the world are they winning all of these games when Kenny Pickett is completing whatever it is. I think he is completing 61 percent, and he doesn’t score touchdowns. What in the world is going on here?”

He has posted just 2.4% touchdown percentage, and so far in his career, has one of the worst touchdown percentage marks of any quarterback in the modern NFL era. The truth is that Pickett is not doing enough to elevate the team to greater heights. Sure, they can win with the defense getting a lot of turnovers. But the offense is falling short.

His 2023 is a jumbled mess of clutch play, one massively good stat, and many concerning signs. Matt Canada muddies the evaluation process because the passing game concepts are so baffling sometimes. But Pickett has struggled and misses a lot of schemed stuff, too. There is an argument to be made that Sunday was one of his worst games of the entire season. Add in a catch that Johnson probably should have made in the fourth quarter, and you have summed up Pickett’s struggles.

Mentioned In This Article: