Tuesday, October 4 Update: Kenny Pickett will start for the Steelers against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
It’s official: Kenny Pickett is the starting quarterback vs. Buffalo.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) October 4, 2022
The Pittsburgh Steelers will proceed with rookie Kenny Pickett as the starting quarterback moving forward, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The #Steelers are expected to move forward with rookie QB Kenny Pickett, sources say, as the first-rounder is set to replace Mitch Trubisky in the lineup. Pickett saw his first action on Sunday and is slated to be the QB moving forward. pic.twitter.com/Lc2ZiMerlg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 3, 2022
The Steelers opted to replace Mitchell Trubisky with Pickett during their Week 4 loss to the New York Jets. Trubisky had thrown three INTs before being benched for the rookie. Pickett entered the game and immediately threw another INT on his first NFL pass attempt. After that, he settled down. Pickett went on to finish the game 7/13 for 84 yards and six carries for 15 yards and two TDs.
This has less to do with Pickett putting on a good performance and more with Trubisky being bad. Pittsburgh is 1-3 and isn’t getting anywhere with Trubisky at QB. So if the team continues to struggle, it’s better they give Pickett more reps as a rookie. If he can grow into the role and show promise moving forward, it’s a good sign heading into next season. The Steelers have a solid team in place but may need to think about moving on from head coach Mike Tomlin.