Kenny Pickett Says He’s Playing vs. Titans on Thursday

PITTSBURGH — Kenny Pickett says he feels good and that he absolutely expects to play in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Thursday Night Football game against the Tennessee Titans this week.

Pickett suffered a rib injury in the team’s Week 8 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He left the game before halftime and was unable to return. Head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed on Monday that there is no structural damage and that Pickett’s return will be about pain management and how he’s able to perform in a pratice setting.

Pickett now seems sure that he will be good to go.

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The team’s pratice on Tuesday was only a walkthrough, but Pickett said that he was a full participant. Tomlin said the team will have a full pratice on Wednesday ahead of the Thursday night game.

Pickett said that he tried to get back onto the field right after the injury, but wasn’t sure he’d be able to throw the ball at a high level through the pain after he took a full-weight hit from Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Adam Gotsis.

“I felt like I couldn’t throw it the way I needed to throw it to help us to win,” Pickett said.

But he said he feels “good” now and expects to feel even better by the time the lights go on at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday.

“It’ll be better in a couple of days,” he said. “It’s still early.”

Pickett said he thought the play might have drawn a penalty, but “it what it is, you’ve just got to keep playing.” The Steelers were forced to settle for a field goal attempt after Mitch Trubisky replaced Pickett. 

Tomlin said on Monday that Trubisky would be in line to start again if Pickett cannot, despite throwing two interceptions in relief on Sunday.

Pickett was also injured in the team’s Week 4 game against the Houston Texans but returned to play the following week.

Nick Farabaugh provided reporting from Pittsburgh.