Steelers Coaches Address Kenny Pickett Situation
PITTSBURGH — Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is trying to play against the Seattle Seahawks, but it will be up to the rest of the training staff and coaches. On Wednesday, Pickett acknowledged that he thinks he could play, but his recovery will be dictated by others than him.
“I feel like I could [play this week],” Pickett said. “I always try to push myself. It’s the trainers. It’s the coaches. It’s what they see me moving and how they want to go about it.”
Steelers offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner was asked what he would need to see to try and get Pickett out there, and he largely echoed what Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday. Tomlin declined to answer the hypothetical of whether Pickett would play if he were medically cleared to do so before Sunday. Pickett said he doesn’t know. Faulkner did not, either.
“Ultimately, Mike T is who is going to make those decisions and decide that,” Faulkner said. “But we’re handling that just like we did last week in the sense of how he is coming along and letting Mason get the reps and play it from there.”
There are only two weeks remaining in the regular season, so Pickett doesn’t have a ton of chances to return to the lineup. Rudolph, meanwhile, is surging. Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan echoed that similar sentiment. So, it seems that whatever boxes he needs to check, no one is really sure what it will take. But the signs point to another Rudolph start since it does not seem that Kenny Pickett will check most of those boxes.
Rudolph ended the game with two touchdowns and a few impressive deep balls. The confidence and moxie are there, but he now needs to take the test of making his performance from Saturday sustainable. If he can be comfortable in the pocket and make some of the throws he did, the team has a chance to win against Seattle. For Pickett, the focus is on getting healthy and returning to the field.
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