The Pittsburgh Steelers are still trying to kick the tires on Kenny Pickett, but they may have to hit the pause button on their usage of the rookie quarterback. Pickett left Week 14's game against the Baltimore Ravens early after taking a sack in the first quarter before getting placed in concussion protocol, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
For now, the Steelers will be treating Mitchell Trubisky as their QB1, while Pickett continues to deal with an injury.
Pickett attempted just a pass in the Ravens game before leaving, with Trubisky taking over the quarterbacking chores immediately for the Steelers. Trubisky was ineffective under center against Baltimore, going 22 of 30 for a touchdown and 276 passing yards with three interceptions.
The hope for the Steelers is that Pickett, selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by Pittsbrugh, will be able to clear the concussion protocol at the soonest possible time, but such an injury always carries a tricky and unpredictable recovery timetable. This is also the second time this season that Pickett has entered the concussion protocol. He suffered a concussion back in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers are at the bottom of the AFC North division with just a 5-8 record after losing to the Ravens Sunday, 16-14, but they are still in contention for a playoff spot. Prior to losing to the Ravens, the Steelers had a two-game win streak going for them, with victories over the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons which were both started by Pickett.
The Steelers will be playing the Carolina Panthers in Week 15 on the road.