After three and a half games, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had seen enough. Trailing the New York Jets 10-6 in the third quarter, the Steelers benched starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and turned to first-round rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Trubisky had completed 7-of-13 passes for 84 yards and had thrown an interception that bounced off the hands of Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson. In all, Trubisky just hasn’t led an efficient offense or been able to move the chains. Pittsburgh came into the game with the third-fewest first downs and have averaged the second-fewest net yards per drive.
After punting the ball on five of their eight drives, with the interception and two field goals coming on the others, Tomlin was ready to pull the plug, giving Pickett a chance to make his NFL debut. Something many fans have called for in recent weeks as the Steelers’ struggles have mounted.
For some, this move was a long time coming. Others might suggest the job was Trubisky’s to lose as soon as the Steelers made the decision to select Pickett 20th overall out of Pitt back in April. Either way, the job is now Pickett’s to lose.
Mitchell Trubisky’s stats this season: 59.5% comp. rate, 653 passing yards, 2 TD, 2 INT – 1-2 W/L
Kenny Pickett’s first NFL pass is intercepted, but rookie adds two rushing scores
Although Mitchell Trubisky may have been the first Steelers quarterback to start after the Ben Roethlisberger era, it’s Kenny Pickett’s turn now.
While he has a long career ahead of him, the 24-year-old first-year pro’s debut got off to a rough start.
On the very first pass attempt of the former Pitt Panther star’s career, Pickett threw an interception on a deep shot downfield to Jets safety Jordan Whitehead.
But the coaching staff’s trust in Pickett started to pay off on his second drive. After the interception, Pittsburgh’s defense got the ball back thanks to Minkah Fitzpatrick’s third interception of the season. This set up Pickett for his first NFL touchdown, which came on a one-yard QB sneak at the goal line to give his team the lead.
He may not have his first passing touchdown just yet, but Pickett’s already up to two rushing scores in his young career. Pickett’s first three drives were mixed. One ending in an interception and the other with touchdowns. Still, it’s been a complete 180 since Trubisky was replaced by Pickett.
Pickett later threw another tipped pass interception. This time it went through tight end Pat Freiermuth’s outstretched arms. Some might say neither were the QB’s fault, but that’s not what the stat sheet will reflect.
Related: Top 2022-23 NFL Rookie of the Year candidates
Kenny Pickett’s expected impact as Pittsburgh’s starting QB
Now that Pickett is the likely starter going forward, the Steelers likely won’t be changing their offensive approach at all. They’ll still use the run to set up the pass, with Najee Harris being the workhorse. But Pickett won’t suddenly be asked to drop back 40 times per game to utilize Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and Pat Freiermuth.
Pickett has a similar style to Trubisky in that he has the ability to make plays in or outside of the pocket while being able to move the chains with his feet. Like Trubisky, he doesn’t have a cannon arm, but both were highly productive college QBs that catapulted their success into becoming first-round picks. While Trubisky’s career hasn’t gone as planned, Trubisky hopes to learn from what he’s seen from the sidelines so far.
They can only hope Pickett, even as a rookie, can operate the offense more smoothly while delivering more big plays. They came into Week 4 tied for the eighth-fewest 20+ yard gains. Trubisky wasn’t getting the job done. Maybe Pickett can provide a spark.
Related: Najee Harris claims Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive woes are partially the fault of media questions