Though the primetime Sunday night matchup in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins did not go their way, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had glowing remarks about his rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett when speaking to the media on Tuesday.
Putting an inverse spin on the idiomatic phrase, Tomlin called Pickett “a fish in water,” clarifying that the quarterback's comfortability and poise in leading comeback efforts is “a natural act for him. He's a competitor,” per Joe Rutter of The Tribune-Review.
Despite a valiant effort from the defense to keep the game close, five hollow possessions resulting in punts in the second half painted the story of the eventual 16-10 Steelers' loss, not to mention the final two Pickett-led drives that produced costly interceptions. After replacing quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in Week 4 against the New York Jets, the rookie out of Pitt now has four games and three starts under his belt in his professional career. In that time, Pickett has a 2:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio to his name to go along with 771 yards through the air and an additional 61 yards and pair of touchdowns on the ground.
While the numbers don't show much encouragement, Pickett has displayed growth deemed satisfactory to the coaching staff in the 2022 NFL season. In a piece from team reporter Dave Lolley on the official Steelers' website, Tomlin felt Pickett “was highly competitive” and that “he played to win” on Sunday, which is about all one can ask of a young signal-caller learning the professional game on the job.
Kenny Pickett and the 2-5 Steelers will have another opportunity to progress in Week 8 as they set their sights on a matchup against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles fresh off of their bye week.
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