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Kenny Pickett showed some promise in his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, though most would hold back on comparing the 25-year-old to an MVP candidate like Josh Allen.
But not Levi Wallace.
The former Buffalo Bills cornerback offered some big praise for his Steelers teammate, saying he sees some of Allen in Pickett.
“He reminds me a lot of Josh, as much as he’s a competitor, the way he prepares,” Wallace said in a June 30 appearance on Good Morning Football. “I mean the guy, he just always wants to keep doing it, right? And if we could be out there for three hours and keep doing reps on offense, I know he would.”
Levi Wallace on Steelers QB: ‘He Wants to Win So Bad’
Wallace went on to offer a deeper explanation of his comparison, praising Pickett for his commitment to improvement.
“I’ve seen him come in and just be hungry and just wanna learn the game. And obviously, there’s a transition period when you’re a rookie … He just wants to win so bad,” Wallace said.
Statistically, Pickett is a long way from reaching Allen’s level. After taking over as Pittsburgh’s starter from former Bills teammate and Allen’s onetime backup, Mitch Trubisky, Pickett threw for 2,404 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He added another 237 rushing yards with three touchdowns.
In some ways, Pickett outperformed Allen’s rookie year, as the Bills quarterback was considered especially raw when entering the league. Pickett completed 63% of his passes, beating Allen’s rookie year mark of 52.8%.
Wallace has plenty of expertise in both quarterbacks. He joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2018, playing four seasons alongside Allen and starting 52 games during that period. Wallace then left the Bills in free agency, signing with the Steelers in the 2022 offseason.
Fans Push Back on Levi Wallace’s Comparison
While he may be trying to hype up his quarterback, Wallace’s comparison drew some pushback from fans who believe that Pickett has a long way to go before reaching Allen’s level.
But Pickett has earned praise from others in the Bills organization. He made his NFL debut as a starter in a Week 5 game against the Bills last season, showing some promise in an otherwise dismal performance as the Bills blew out the Steelers 38-3. Pickett went 34-52 for 327 yards and one interception against an aggressive Bills defense.
Prior to the game, the rookie quarterback earned some praise from Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
“He looks like a good, young quarterback, had a good preseason, played well when he got in the game the other day, and was productive,” McDermott said via video conference. “It looks like he knows what he’s doing and how to function in that offense, and I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
Mike Fisher of SI.com’s Bills Central noted that Wallace’s comparison could be seen as flattering both for Allen and Pickett.
“Is he Josh Allen? That seems unlikely,” Fisher wrote. “Should Josh Allen be flattered that he is now one of the ‘comps’ that pop up when people want to praise young QBs? That’s probably the best way for Bills Mafia to take this.”
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