- Update: Kenny Pickett has reportedly suffered a bone bruise in his knee and a muscle strain. There is a chance he could go this week. But with the Steelers having a Week 6 bye, Pickett might sit.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett left Sunday’s game with a knee injury. While the Steelers don’t expect him to miss the remainder of the season, the former first-round pick could still be out for a while.
Facing the Houston Texans in Week 4, Pickett’s leg got twisted on a fourth-down attempt in the third quarter. He remained down for several minutes before slowly making his way towards the sideline with the help of some assistance.
- Kenny Pickett stats 2023: 29.4 QBR (30th in NFL), 60.6% completion rate, 803 passing yards, 4-4 TD-INT, 6.3 yards per attempt, 11 sacks
Prior to the injury, Pickett and the Steelers’ offense was struggling. He managed just a 59 passer rating with one interception and three sacks, averaging just 5 yards per pass attempt. In his absence, Mitch Trubisky completed 3-of-5 passes for 18 yards and Pittsburgh lost 30-6.
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Appearing on Good Morning Football, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted that there is still no ‘definitive’ diagnosis of Pickett’s knee injury. However, it’s not a season-ending ACL tear. Pickett will get MRI results on Monday, with a definitive diagnosis and recovery timeline coming after.
“The belief is this is not a season-ending situation for Kenny Pickett. I would expect him to miss some time, but not season-ending…It’s not the ACL, but it does seem there is concern about the MCL, potentially the meniscus. The MRI is going to tell all.”
Ian Rapopoport on the injury to Pittsburgh Steelers quarteback Kenny Pickett
Until Pickett is cleared to return, Trubisky will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback. Last season in 10 games, he completed 65 percent of his passes with an 81.1 quarterback rating, but posted a 4-5 TD-INT line and averaged just 178.9 passing yards per game.
- Kenny Pickett contract: $3.197 million cap hit in 2023, $3.36 million cap hit in 2024, $4.476 million cap hit in 2025, 2026 fifth-year option
After a strong preseason from the Steelers’ offense, the first month of the regular season has been a disaster. Entering NFL games today, Pittsburgh ranks 25th in scoring (15.5 PPG) and 27th in yards per play (4.6).
Operating behind an offensive line that has allowed the fifth-most pressures in the NFL, Trubisky and the Steelers’ offense will likely continue to struggle. With the Baltimore Ravens on deck, Pittsburgh could head into its bye week with a 2-3 record.