Getty Images Kenny Pickett of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Much like many of the team’s fans, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he was initially unsure of what to make of rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett. But having watched Pickett throw last-minute touchdown passes to win each of the past two games, he has revised his opinion of the 2022 first-round pick.
Ben Roethlisberger: ‘I Severely Underestimated’ Kenny Pickett
“I severely, in my opinion, underestimated Kenny,” said Roethlisberger towards the end of episode 18 of the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast, which was published on January 4, 2023. “I think he throws the ball better than I thought, he runs way better than I thought. I don’t know if he’s faster or just more elusive, but he runs the ball better than I expected or thought. His decision making is really, really good. His leadership, his toughness, (he has) just enough of an edge to him it looks like.”
That said, Roethlisberger says he thinks Pickett will be something more than the “good” quarterback he initially expected him to be, and proceeded to offer an apology for underestimating him.
“I apologize — not that I made this vocal to anybody else, but in my own head — what I was saying was, ‘Kenny, keep doing what you’re doing because you are leading the team and becoming the guy that I think everyone was hoping you would be. I think the sky is the limit for him, really.”
Roethlisberger says he was especially impressed by Pickett’s game-winning drive against the Ravens, which allowed the Steelers to escape Baltimore with a 16-13 win that keeps Pittsburgh (8-8) alive in the playoff race. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer took care to highlight the strength of the Baltimore Ravens defense and the hostile environment at M&T Bank Stadium. (“That place is nuts. It’s so much fun and so awful, all in the same moment, to play in that place in prime time,” he said.)
“Just an unbelievable drive, to have the guts and courage to do it at that place…. He’s just playing with this coolness,” added Roethlisberger, who marveled at the trust required to make the throw to running back Najee Harris that won the game against the Ravens.
Ben Roethlisberger: Kenny Pickett Still Needs to ‘Take the Next Step’
That said, Roethlisberger did offer a caveat, reminding listeners that Kenny is still a rookie and needs to “take the next step” in the coming years.
Indeed, Pickett’s numbers remain underwhelming and aren’t anywhere close to what one would expect from a franchise quarterback. While the victory over the Ravens raised his record to 6-5 and he boasts a 64.4% completion percentage, he is averaging a mere 6.1 yards per attempt in 360 passes. More notably, he has thrown just six touchdown passes (against nine interceptions) for a passer rating of 76.5, as per Pro Football Reference. That’s not all that much better than the 71.4 rating that rookie undrafted free agent Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges posted in eight games in 2019.
On the other hand, it’s clear that Pickett and the Steelers are both trending upwards, which portends well for 2023 and beyond.
“If you’re in Pittsburgh, you’ve gotta feel pretty good about what you’ve got, the way Kenny is playing, the way the team is playing,” concluded Roethlisberger, who went on to offer a prediction about the forthcoming season finale against the Browns on January 8, 2023.
“I think they are going to take care of business against Cleveland and keep that train rolling,” he said.