Former NFL GM Says Steelers Are ‘All-In’ on Kenny Pickett

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation has been a hot topic locally and in the national media recently, which is understandable. It’s a quarterback-driven league and many are lukewarm on Kenny Pickett ever blossoming into an elite quarterback to compete with the likes of three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, C.J. Stroud etc. in the AFC.

Four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw fully backed Pickett earlier this week during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. Bradshaw thinks Pickett is poised and shouldn’t be given up on. He thinks it would be a huge mistake for the Steelers to trade for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

Former NFL general manager and current 33rd Team analyst Rick Spielman also believes that the Steelers are going all-in with Pickett as their quarterback.

“They’re all-in on Kenny Pickett. So don’t expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to go up and trade for one of the three big quarterbacks in this draft or be very active in free agency, signing a Kirk Cousins or maybe trading for a Justin Fields,” Spielman said. “I think they’re going to go with Kenny Pickett, see if they can develop under Arthur Smith in this power-style offense that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to run.”

Spielman thinks if the Steelers are truly going to commit to Pickett as their starting QB, they must look to give him more weapons at wide receiver and bolster the offensive line. Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton are two players he thinks would fit the bill in Pittsburgh. He also suggested that the Steelers should add Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd and New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne in free agency. Boyd is from Clairton and starred at Pitt, so a homecoming could be in the cards. Boyd told Dominic Campbell of Pittsburgh Sports Now January that he has a close relationship with Mike Tomlin.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Feb. 17 that the Steelers are not interested in signing or otherwise acquiring a quarterback that will demand to be the team’s starter. Steelers Now was able to confirm that the Steelers are not actively seeking an external starting quarterback.

The Steelers have publicly committed to giving Pickett another shot as the team’s starting quarterback, though Tomlin promised that he will face competition for the role. Just don’t expect it to be Fields, who will probably cost at least a second-day pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Don’t expect it to be Kirk Cousins, either, as he reportedly wants $90 million guaranteed for two years. Steelers president Art Rooney II said earlier this month that it’s unlikely that they’ll make a blockbuster trade at the QB spot, which suggests that they’re running it back with Pickett in 2024.