Nine games into his rookie season, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered concussions twice in four sacks allowed by lineman Kevin Dotson.
With the NFL’s valid hyperfocus on the short- and long-term effects of concussions, players who get them are put under a microscope, especially by the media.
Pickett exited Pittsburgh’s October 16 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his second career start, after sustaining a concussion on a sack by linebacker Devin White. He cleared protocol later that week in time to start the October 23 primetime matchup versus the Miami Dolphins.
Kenny Pickett is headed to the locker room after taking this hit.
Mitchell Trubisky is in the game at QB. t.co/c38HXG442e
Eight weeks later, Pickett sustained concussion number two. With facemask in hand (no call), Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith slammed him to the ground. This concussion was handled differently than the first, which sparked debate in the days that followed. He was held out one week, returning for the Christmas Eve Las Vegas Raiders game.
Kenny Pickett says his concussion symptoms set in during the series he returned vs. Ravens, and he self-reported some vision issues when he came out. After that, he was re-evaluated and placed in the protocol.
He said symptoms from this concussion, his second, were more severe.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan spoke about Pickett’s concussions with Pro Football Talk from the NFL Scouting Combine on February 28. PFT Live cohost Chris Simms, a former quarterback, pressed Khan on the issue asking what’s “going on behind the curtain.”
“It’s obviously a concern, right?… You take every precaution, every step to try to prevent or minimize them,” Khan said. “Kenny switched his helmet during the season at a recommendation from our medical staff. I’m sure there’s some things that’ll be discussed with the coaching staff in terms of what he could do maybe to take less hits, let’s say. But, yeah, it is concerning.”
Don’t expect Pickett to change how he plays, though. He refuses to alter his aggressive style despite the risk of head trauma. He rushed 55 times in 13 games for 537 yards and three scores. Like his predecessor Ben Roethlisberger, Pickett’s scrambling ability and desire to extend plays is a large part of what makes the Steelers offense go. But it also increases exposure to injury, a significant concern, especially for a player who concussion-prone.
“[Mobility is] something I think I’ve done a pretty good job of this year,” Pickett said in a December 22 press conference via The Athletic. “As you said, it’s not coming in the pocket. It’s just it comes with the position. It comes with playing football, and it’s going to happen.”
Steps Steelers Took to Help Safeguard QB Kenny Pickett from Concussions
While it did take two concussions for action, the issue didn’t go unnoticed. Precautions were taken to safeguard their young quarterback.
At the urging of Pittsburgh Steelers medical staff, Pickett switched to a concussion-specific helmet. The Riddell Tru-Fit Axiom has a performance liner and face-protection system designed to improve impact response and prevent concussions. Tight end Pat Freiermuth, who, in October, sustained his third concussion in two seasons, wears the same helmet. The cutting-edge, custom-fit helmet is worn by several others, including Patrick Mahomes and Steelers guard James Daniel.
Pickett has said it’s not so much the hits but the act of his head bouncing off the ground that’s the issue. “I think it’s comfortable,” he said about the helmet. “And, you know, it has the speed flex in the back of my helmet, which is where (hitting) the ground has caused my concussions, not really getting hit from the front. Slamming my head off the ground is what has been an issue. So (this helmet) has the flex in the back, which I think will help me out.”
Pickett has also said that he’s bulking up and working to improve his footwork this offseason — steps to better combat hits going forward.
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Steelers GM Reveals Brutally Honest ‘Concern’ With Kenny Pickett