It looks like the decision to select Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft is paying off for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After becoming the only quarterback selected in round one, the Steelers gave him a four-year, $14 million contract.
But his performance during preseason shows that he might be worth more soon.
In his first preseason game, he completed 13 passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks.
He also threw the winning score to Tyler Vaughns with three seconds to play.
A week later, he had six completions for 76 yards and a touchdown versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Those numbers gave him a historic passer rating among rookies.
Highest passer rating among all rookies in a single preseason since 2015:
1. @KennyPickett10 (138.6)@steelers fans you got a good one 👏 pic.twitter.com/o5GymUBqWo
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) August 25, 2022
NFL Gameday pointed out that Pickett’s 138.6 passer rating is the highest among rookies in a single preseason since 2015.
But while he has been impressive in two games, Steelers fans should embrace the achievements with caution.
After all, it is the preseason, and the best players either play for only a few snaps or do not play at all.
Therefore, his stellar numbers could be a by-product of a weaker opposition.
It remains to be seen if he can replicate those performances during the regular season.
Pickett Waiting In The Wings
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced that Mitchell Trubisky will play in their final preseason game against the Detroit Lions.
In that case, he will likely be their starter for Week 1 when they face the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, Trubisky cannot afford to fail because his job will be on the line.
The Steelers will turn to Pickett if the former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills play-caller isn’t delivering the desired results.
Inexperience could be the only reason Pittsburgh isn’t considering Pickett yet.
They don’t want Pickett to get shell-shocked when facing tougher defenders.
