There was a time when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was ridiculed for his palm size.
Critics said that it would be difficult for him to play in the pros because he couldn’t grip the ball well.
However, he is proving those doubters wrong by having an impressive preseason.
The rook's first preseason:
29/36 🎯
261 yards 💪
3 passing TDs 🙌@kennypickett10 | @steelers pic.twitter.com/B9iwcEG1SI— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2022
The former Pitt Panther seems to be at home in the NFL after tallying 29 completions out of 36 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
To break those numbers down, he had 13 completions out of 15 throws for 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks.
One of his scoring throws was the game-winner to Tyler Vaughns with three seconds left.
Pickett followed it up with six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the final preseason game, he had ten completions for 90 yards against the Detroit Lions.
Pickett exudes composure that is rarely seen in young quarterbacks whenever he’s on the field.
He also always looks downfield to find his targets and quickly goes through his reads to find an open teammate.
Yet despite his efforts during the preseason, the Steelers will likely take caution with his playing time.
After all, the last thing they need is to have his confidence shot.
Pickett Narrowed The Gap With Mitchell Trubisky
While head coach Mike Tomlin declined to name a starter yet for Week 1, Mitchell Trubisky is the odds-on favorite to get the role.
He might have strengthened his case after a stat line of 15 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown against the Lions.
Likewise, he is the only quarterback on their roster with extensive experience as a starter.
The Steelers would like to see what they have in him after signing Trubisky to a two-year deal.
But once he struggles, the calls for Pickett to take over will get louder.
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