Kenny Pickett Makes Statement With Bounce Back Day

LATROBE, Pa. — For most players on the Steelers offense, training camp has been rocky at best. That includes starting quarterback Kenny Pickett, who has moments where he pops, but others where there are some serious questions in his game. Thursday may have been his worst practice of camp. But Friday, he came out with a response and had maybe his best day of training camp thus far.

The offense looked like a well-oiled machine. It was the best they have looked all of training camp. The receivers and quarterbacks were in sync and the rushing game was working. But none of it really comes together without the starting quarterback coming out and making plays.

Pickett looked calm and made some of his best throws of training camp. He threw a gorgeous crosser to Pat Freiermuth in between two defenders. But that was just one play. Pickett threw the ball at a high level to all three levels of the football field. I still maintain that he looks far more comfortable this year, as he should. There are obvious leaps, and the mental preparation for a guy in his second year is one of them. Pickett looks like a natural out there right now.

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett attempts a pass during training camp.

Kenny Pickett is not necessarily going to be a star, and to be fair, that’s fine. But this was the first time where you could really see the game for him level up beyond a basic level in year two. Pickett looked more like a guy who could lead the team to wins with some of those being with plenty of help because of him rather than just being along for the ride. As a result, the tide of the rest of the offense rose with Pickett.

This could be a preview of what the team will see when they head down to Tampa Bay in just over a week. Pickett’s training camp is one where overreactions can be had. But up to this point, this is a guy who looks better than he did last year, and at this point, it’s hard to ask for much else.