Bill Cowher, other NFL analysts see Steelers QB Kenny Pickett ready to ‘take the next step’
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By virtue of their decision to name Kenny Pickett the lone offensive captain, Pittsburgh Steelers players — and by extension the coaching staff — recognize the growth and leadership the 25-year-old quarterback has displayed as he enters his second NFL season.
Pickett also is starting to gain respect nationally, at least by some NFL insiders who are paid to watch and discuss games on a weekly basis.
Bill Cowher was the Steelers coach for Ben Roethlisberger’s first three seasons, and the duo won a Super Bowl after the 2005 season. Since joining the CBS broadcast team after the following year, Cowher has continued to keep his finger on the pulse of Steelers football, even if it is from the network’s New York studio.
Cowher isn’t ready to say Pickett will follow in Roethlisberger’s footsteps by leading the Steelers to a championship in his second season, but he sees Pickett building on a strong second half to his rookie season, when he helped lead the Steelers to a 7-2 finish and 9-8 record.
“I see him continuing to take the next step,” Cowher said.
That step, Cowher believes, is taking more ownership of the offense and gaining the trust of third-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
“Matt and he have a good feel for what they want him to do,” Cowher said. “(Canada) has turned it over a little more to Kenny, and I think you’re going to see him pick up right where he left off in the second half of the season.”
Based on the numbers, Pickett couldn’t have pieced together a better preseason as he prepared for his first full season as an NFL starter. In three games, he led the Steelers offense to touchdowns on each of his five possessions, and he compiled a perfect passer rating in the process.
The first test in a game that counts will come Sunday, when the Steelers open as a home underdog against the San Francisco 49ers, who advanced to the NFC championship game last season.
“I do think he had one of the best preseasons of any quarterback, of any young quarterback coming in with some question marks around him,” said CBS analyst Boomer Esiason, a former NFL MVP. “I remember everybody talking about Kenny toward the end of last year and saying this was going to be a breakthrough year for him.”
Like other football analysts, Esiason came away impressed after watching Pickett complete 13 of 15 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason, starting with a 33-yard toss to George Pickens.
“One thing I did like about him this preseason that I didn’t realize was how quick he can make a decision and how accurate he was,” Esiason said. “If that carries over into the regular season, the Steelers are one of my surprise teams that I think will make the playoffs.”
Cowher noticed Pickett starting to make strides after the bye week last season. Not only did Pickett cut down on his interceptions, throwing one over his final eight games, he emphasized not holding onto the ball too long and was sacked just nine times in the last seven games. Pickett also orchestrated last-minute game-winning touchdown drives against Las Vegas and Baltimore that kept the Steelers playoff hopes alive heading into the final week.
“I like the fact they put him back under center,” Cowher said. “You saw Najee Harris and the downhill running he has going and the play-action they can create. They did a very good job of taking their offensive line and upgrading it. They have depth. They have size. They have quality.
“There’s a very good feeling in Pittsburgh. The preseason went very well for him.”
CBS analyst Phil Simms, a two-time Super Bowl champion, saw Pickett’s maturity get accelerated last season after he became comfortable running the Steelers offense.
“You saw a rookie turn into kind of a veteran,” Simms said. “He threw the ball more decisively and with more power. You saw that again in the preseason. I know it’s preseason. I don’t care. His movement, the confidence in himself, the offense, I love what they are doing.”
Critics suggest Pickett succeeded because he played a conservative style last year and was determined not to make mistakes, which limited his aggressiveness. Pickett also has never thrown more than one touchdown pass in a game.
Still, Pickett’s play in the preseason — even if it was a small sample size — suggests he will take more risks this year and has the arm strength and accuracy to be aggressive but still keep mistakes to a minimum.
“His decision-making has been terrific,” Simms said. “The other thing that goes very unnoticed about him is he moves around to throw the ball and picks up runs when he needs to. I was very impressed with Kenny Pickett at the end of last year and at the start of this year, and I think the Steelers are going to be pretty tough.”
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi isn’t surprised his former quarterback was named a team captain in his second season or that Pickett’s play in the preseason has provided such optimism for the Steelers fan base.
In 2019, his second season as a starter for the Panthers, Pickett averaged 258.2 passing yards per game after registering 140.6 yards the previous year. Pickett was named a Pitt captain the next year, and he took his biggest jump in 2021 when he became a Heisman Trophy finalist after passing for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns.
“The first thing is, he works,” Narduzzi said. “I bet his car is one of the first ones (at the practice facility) in the morning and one of the last ones to leave. He’s working at it. The players see that. When they see the guys in the office, he’s got his own little work station in there. That’s the first thing. He’s leading by example.
“But he’s got a way about him. He’s not afraid to speak up. … He’s not going to step out of bounds or cross the line, but he’s not afraid to give his opinion on something, whether it’s with the coaches, which is what you want.”