AFC North QB Rankings after Week 13 (How can Joe Burrow NOT be number 1?)
By Eric Bruns
3. Kenny Pickett (Steelers)
Pickett is the AFC quarterback who has had the least noise about him, especially over the last few weeks. Unless you take into account when a fake Steelers account that paid for the blue check claimed he had died.
No one really believed this tweet, but it was the most anyone outside of Pittsburgh had heard about the rookie in some time. He has started eight games in 2022 throwing four touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Pickett hasn’t lit the NFL on fire but it’s definitely too early to say whether or not he is a starter in the NFL. So far he looks like a rookie and that is okay. Rookies used to look like rookies, then some young quarterbacks [Luck, Newton, Mahomes] lit the league up early and now they’re the standard.
If your quarterback isn’t playing to that level fans are ready to cash him in for the next thing. Peyton Manning wasn’t great in the beginning even though he took some time to grow (I'm certainly not comparing the two, but you get where I'm going with this). The more reps Pickett takes the better it is for him.
The Steelers aren’t making the playoffs, but if they can get their young quarterback experience on a good squad in Pittsburgh he might have a chance. Or the Steelers will be looking for another quarterback in the 2024 draft.