The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to start Mitchell Trubisky in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season, but all the quarterback hype on the team belongs to rookie signal-caller Kenny Pickett, especially after his pair of fantastic preseason performances.
In Week 1 of the preseason, Kenny Pickett led the Steelers to a 32-25 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. In that game, he went 13-of-15 for 95 yards and two touchdowns, as he clearly capitalized on a golden opportunity to shine in his very first taste of competitive NFL action. He followed that up with another sterling performance in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as he completed 6-of-7 pass attempts for 76 yards and a touchdown. In both games, he had the highest passer rating among all quarterbacks from both sides.
And according to NFL Research, Kenny Pickett has attained something that wasn't seen in the NFL in at least the previous seven years:
Highest passer ratings among rookie QBs in a single preseason since 2015:
Kenny Pickett (2022) = 138.6
Dak Prescott (2016) = 137.8
Zach Wilson (2021) = 137.7
Daniel Jones (2019) = 137.3#NFLPreseason | #SteelerNation pic.twitter.com/SugdIpnDiE— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) August 22, 2022
Of course, the NFL preseason is hardly the only determining factor of how rookies will fare when it comes to the real NFL season. Nevertheless, Kenny Pickett is seemingly not wasting his chance he gets to prove why he should be seriously viewed as a potential Steelers starter in his first year in the pros. At the very least, he is breathing down the neck of Mason Rudolph for the main backup QB role in Pittsburgh.
He will get another shot this coming Sunday in the Steelers' preseason finale against the Detroit Lions at home.
The Steelers open their 2022 NFL season on Sep. 11 on the road against AFC North rivals Cincinnati Bengals.
Follow Us
Subscribe