Getty Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac wrote that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett could still not play on Thursday despite his declaration to start.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett was adamant that he would start when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football in Week 9. But The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac wrote in an online chat on November 1 that the Steelers have yet to decide whether Pickett will play.
“Despite what he said yesterday, it still has not been determined for sure if he will play against the Titans,” wrote Dulac.
Pickett left late in the second quarter in Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars because of a rib injury. Pickett tried to throw during halftime, but he said that he couldn’t perform at a high enough level to return.
Mitch Trubisky finished the game behind center for the Steelers.
Trubisky will start Thursday if Pickett can’t play. But if it were only up to the second-year quarterback, he will definitely play.
“I’m playing for sure,” Pickett told reporters on October 31 when asked if he needed any medical clearance to play.
QB Kenny Pickett Says He Will Play Against Titans
Pickett didn’t leave any doubt on October 31 that he would play in Week 9. Apparently, he had Trubisky convinced.
The backup quarterback was scheduled to speak with the media because of the possibility of starting versus the Titans. But after hearing Pickett say he will “for sure” play, Trubisky didn’t meet with reporters.
“Trubisky was supposed to talk to the media after Pickett but when Pickett said he’s definitely playing Trubisky then figured it wasn’t worth talking and left,” The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“I guess he wasn’t playing in that charade.”
Trubisky was supposed to talk to the media after Pickett but when Pickett said he’s definitely playing Trubisky then figured it wasn’t worth talking and left.
I guess he wasn’t playing in that charade
Trubisky has replaced Pickett twice in the past four weeks because of injuries Pickett has sustained. In relief, Trubisky has completed 18 of 32 passes (56.25%) for 156 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.
If the Steelers elect to rule out Pickett because of his rib injury on the short week, Trubisky will make his first start this season. Mason Rudolph, who has been the No. 3 quarterback this season, will serve as the team’s backup.
Pickett Proving to be Injury Prone?
The sample size is still relatively small for the Steelers second-year quarterback. He’s made just 19 NFL starts.
But in those 19 starts, Pickett has left with injuries in four of them.
Those first two injuries were both concussions. With the modern knowledge of head injuries, one can’t be critical of Pickett for not returning from a concussion during a game.
But Pickett left Week 4 against the Houston Texans with a bone bruise in his knee. He didn’t return yet played the following week.
If Pickett plays against the Titans, he will be returning from his rib injury on a short week despite not being able to finish the matchup versus the Jaguars.
“Is it just bad luck that has forced Pickett to leave more games than any other NFL quarterback over the last two seasons?” Kaboly asked in a column. “Or is it something to be concerned about, even though two of the first three injuries didn’t keep him out of the following week’s game?”
The Steelers will hold their last practice for Week 9 on November 1. During that practice and then maybe again in the hours before the game, Pickett will very likely have to prove he’s physically ready in order to start versus the Titans.
“Certainly, I’m going to want to see something, absolutely,” head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on October 30. “He is a young guy, so I need to see some physical preparations to consider him.”
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Steelers, Kenny Pickett Mixed on QB’s Status for Week 9: Report