Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told Mark Kaboly of The Athletic on Tuesday that Pickett's practice participation might be limited this week as Pittsburgh prepares for a home game against the Cardinals this weekend. Pickett ended up being a full participant for the Steelers' first Week 13 session, and while it's possible his mobility is affected by the ankle issue, there's no concern about the signal-caller missing an upcoming matchup with one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
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Passing
| Year | Team | GP | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | AVG | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | PIT | 11 | 314 | 194 | 62% | 2,000 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| 2022 | PIT | 13 | 389 | 245 | 63% | 2,404 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
Rushing
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told Mark Kaboly of The Athletic on Tuesday that Pickett's practice participation might be limited this week as Pittsburgh prepares for a home game against the Cardinals this weekend. Pickett ended up being a full participant for the Steelers' first Week 13 session, and while it's possible his mobility is affected by the ankle issue, there's no concern about the signal-caller missing an upcoming matchup with one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
Head coach Mike Tomlin didn't seem concerned Tuesday about Pickett's availability for a Week 13 contest against the Cardinals, but the signal-caller still looks like he could be at risk of missing out on some reps when the Steelers hold their first practice of the week Wednesday. In his first game this past Sunday working with a new offensive coordinator (Eddie Faulkner) and play-caller (Mike Sullivan), Pickett turned in a quality performance in the Steelers' 16-10 win over the Bengals, completing 24 of 33 pass attempts for a season-high 278 yards while taking no sacks and committing no turnovers.
Pickett showed signs of improvement in his first game after offensive coordinator Matt Canada was fired. Most significantly, Pickett completed passes over the middle of the field to Pat Freiermuth, a piece of the offense that had been missing prior to Sunday's performance. At least in part, that led to a season-best yardage total, with the only blemish being that Pickett failed to record a passing score. Despite the noted improvement, Pickett has just six passing touchdowns in 11 games -- only one of which has come in his last six contests.
The Steelers deployed a relatively heavy rushing attack to take some burden off Pickett in a tough matchup, but he was dreadful when called upon. He averaged an abysmal 3.8 yards per attempt, and his longest completion went for only 14 yards. That left Pittsburgh unable to sustain drives, with their only touchdown coming on a 74-yard run by Jaylen Warren. Pickett has thrown for multiple touchdowns just once this season and has failed to top 160 pass yards in each of his last four games.
Pickett's production through the air was similar to his new average of merely 120 yards over his last three outings. However, with the Steelers rushing for 205 yards Sunday, his muted impact was enough to help Pittsburgh to another narrow victory. Although he has now gone five straight games without an interception, Pickett's two passing touchdowns over that span evidence his very mild stock.
Pickett opened Week 9 with a limited listing on Monday's estimated practice report, and he relayed one day later that he did some light throwing in what was yet another walk-through session. He thus appears poised to be listed as a limited participant once again, which will be confirmed when the Steelers post their next injury report later Tuesday.
Pickett made an early departure from Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Jaguars due to a hard hit that he endured late in the second quarter. He suffered a rib injury as a result, but even with Pittsburgh preparing to host the Titans on a short week Thursday, coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that "the door is definitively ajar" for Pickett to be available this week. Pickett is considered a "game-time type decision," so his status will be one to monitor closely as Thursday's game draws closer. Mitch Trubisky will be called upon to start if Pickett is unable to suit up.
Pickett sustained the injury when he took a hard hit late in the second quarter and headed to the locker room, but he had been expected to return to the game for the second half, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. However, Mitch Trubisky remained the team's quarterback for the first possession of the third quarter, and after further deliberation, Pittsburgh has chosen to hold Pickett out for the rest of the game. Pickett will finish the Week 8 contest with 10 completions on 16 attempts for 73 yards to go with 10 yards on his lone carry. He'll have limited time to heal up from the injury if he hopes to avoid an absence, as the Steelers are set to face the Titans on Thursday night in Week 9.
Team
Pittsburgh Steelers
Birthdate
6/6/1998 (25)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'3", 220 lbs
Draft Info
2022: Rd 1; Pk 20 (PIT)
Birthplace
Oakhurst, NJ, USA
Position
QB
College
Pittsburgh
Experience
2nd season
Career History
Pittsburgh Steelers
2022 - Present
(2 seasons)
Previous Game
16
Final
10
73%
CMP%
278
YDS
0
TD
2023 Season Stats
YDS
CMP
TDS
INT
CMP%
2,000
194
6
4
62%
|
Recent Games
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passing
|
rushing
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|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Date
|
Opp
|
Result
|
ATT
|
CMP
|
CMP%
|
YDS
|
AVG
|
TD
|
INT
|
CAR
|
YDS
|
AVG
|
TD
|
LNG
|
FD
|
|
11/26
|
W 16-10
|
33
|
24
|
72.7
|
278
|
8.4
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
|
|
11/19
|
L 10-13
|
28
|
15
|
53.6
|
106
|
3.8
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
9
|
2.3
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
|
|
11/12
|
W 23-19
|
23
|
14
|
60.9
|
126
|
5.5
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
16
|
4
|
0
|
11
|
0
|
|
|
11/2
|
W 20-16
|
30
|
19
|
63.3
|
160
|
5.3
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
-1
|
-1
|
0
|
-1
|
0
|
|
|
10/29
|
L 10-20
|
16
|
10
|
62.5
|
73
|
4.6
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
10
|
10
|
0
|
10
|
0
|
|
