Kenny Pickett Expecting 'Big Jump' In Sophomore Outing With Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers' fate is in the hands of 24-year-old Kenny Pickett and he has no plans of letting it go for the upcoming 2023 NFL season as he prepares to lead the team into the future.

Pickett, selected 20th overall in the 2022 NFL draft, was handed the keys to the franchise after being named the starter by head coach Mike Tomlin ahead of their Week 5 drubbing at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.

While it was not an entirely encouraging start for Pickett, the Steelers would go on to have statement victories under his leadership at the quarterback position against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14 and Las Vegas Raiders two weeks later.

In a recent interview posted on the Steelers' website, the New Jersey native revealed how his offseason has been going.

"I was planning on taking a lot more time off, but I've never taken a lot of time off. I took a couple of days off, and I wasn't acting myself, and my fiancée Amy was like, you've got to get back to training," Pickett stated.

It was revealed in the same interview that Pickett did have training sessions with the initial Steelers starting quarterback for the 2022 season Mitch Trubisky alongside their receiving group last month.

Much has already been said of Pickett's upside thanks to being under the guidance of Tomlin.

While he might not be the most athletic quarterback in today's game, Pickett has already shown flashes of being a hardened vet on the field.

"The biggest growth for me was mental. Just understanding the system. It comes with reps. You want that fast... I felt my growth mentally, when I'm out there processing things faster, week by week I saw growth. That's always a real positive thing," Pickett mentioned.

"There are so many things I'm going to go through here this offseason in order for me to take that big jump in year two, which I'm expecting myself to do."

Pickett's 2022 season was a decent one for a squad that was juggling three potential starters in the offseason, logging 2,404 yards on 63 percent completion alongside seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Judging by the numbers alone, nine interceptions for a potential franchise cornerstone is a bit of an eyesore as he only played in 13 games, but it can also be argued that his on-field mistakes were a testament to him still adjusting to the pro level.

The University of Pittsburgh alum knows he has his work cut out for him and it is now up to him to live up to the expectations he and the fanbase have set upon himself.

Though the Steelers are still far from being seen as credible title contenders this season, the NFL will need to keep an eye out for them as Pickett looks to make his vision a reality.