Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is on the mend from ankle surgery, but he appears to be making progress.
Pickett will make the trip to Seattle for the Steelers’ matchup with the Seahawks on Sunday, but he is officially listed as questionable, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
However, Florio adds that even if Pickett is well enough to play, he will still serve as Mason Rudolph’s backup.
Does this indicate that Pickett has actually been benched?
It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
Pickett has struggled during his sophomore campaign, making 12 starts and throwing for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 62 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 81.4. He has been sidelined since Week 14.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Pittsburgh, was selected by the Steelers with the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He made 12 starts during his rookie campaign and was not too impressive, finishing with 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine picks while completing 63 percent of his throws and registering a passer rating of 76.7.
By the numbers, one can see that Kenny Pickett has not exactly shown too much progression during his second season, which is why many are speculating that Pittsburgh could ultimately move on from him after the season is over.
The fact that the Steelers seem to be more comfortable rolling with Rudolph in such a pivotal game demonstrates that the club may very well be considering going in a different direction in 2024.
Pittsburgh is 8-7 and is fighting for its playoff life heading into Week 17. The Steelers are currently ninth in the AFC playoff standings. After facing Seattle this weekend, they will battle the Baltimore Ravens to wrap up the regular season on Jan. 7.
It should be noted that the Steelers have not finished below .500 since 2003.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
