Getty Terry Bradshaw during Super Bowl interviews.
Winning a pivotal Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams has got to feel good for Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett. Being touted as the “perfect” quarterback for the franchise by Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw is extra incentive for the second-year team leader.
Bradshaw — the man responsible for four of the Steelers’ six Super Bowl championships — spoke on Fox’s broadcast after Pickett completed 17 of 25 passes for 230 yards in the win over L.A. and proclaimed that Pittsburgh has their franchise player of the future.
“I will tell you what, Pickett doesn’t throw for a lot of touchdowns, yet,” Bradshaw said. “In time he will. He is the perfect quarterback for this team. Very selfless-type human being, he doesn’t mind handing the ball off. He’s great in the clutch and great under pressure, and you saw that again today.”
Bradshaw played in the NFL for 14 seasons and has been a television broadcaster since 1984. He has seen it all when it comes to quarterback play and envisions the franchise player that Pickett can become at this early juncture of his career. Some of the special attributes he’s isolated from Pickett’s game resemble his own.
Terry Bradshaw a Testament to the Growth Kenny Pickett Can Achieve in His Career
It took time for Bradshaw to evolve into a volume passer. In fact, he only cracked the top 10 in passing yards once in his first seven seasons. While Ken Anderson and Dan Fouts dominated the field and continually led the league in passing yards, Bradshaw collected rings.
The NFL saw a seismic shift in passing during the 1979 season. Prior to, Bradshaw was a regular top-five finisher among all quarterbacks in rush yards. He used his mobility to make plays out of the pocket and deliver in the clutch. Bradshaw was able to adapt and flirt with 3,000 yards passing once offenses became more predicated on feeding receivers.
The former NFL MVP did not mind handing the ball off to Hall of Fame RB Franco Harris. He also found efficient ways to score touchdowns.
Bradshaw has always been high on Pickett’s upside. On a November 2022 episode of “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Bradshaw described Pickett as an “upper echelon B” type of talent.
Bradshaw compared him to a contemporary of his day in QB Billy Kilmer. Though Pickett’s arm strength leaves something to be desired, he found other ways to get the job done in the city of angels.
Pickett’s Decision Making Key in Steelers’ Win
Calling Pickett the next Terry Bradshaw is a stretch. However, we saw glimpses of exceptional play from him in Week 7 as well as the season at large.
Pickett out-dueled former Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford on the road at SoFi Stadium. He used that selflessness that Bradshaw attested to in finding receivers George Pickens and Diontae Johnson for easy opportunities down the field. Both combined for 10 receptions and 186 receiving yards on the day.
Pickens cutting up the middle for a 31-yard reception out of the slot showed Pickett’s ability to read the defense and find his featured receiver when coverage broke down. This was an aspect of Pickett’s game that Bradshaw accentuated in that same sit-down with Cowherd.
Pickett failed to connect with either of them in the end zone. However, he used his sound decision-making to activate Najee Harris and his backfield and finally get them on the board in the touchdown department.
During the Steelers’ bye week, Pickett spoke on October 10 about wanting to be better in “third and manageable situations.” Pittsburgh went 4-12 on third down against Los Angeles. That remains an area that the young QB can continue to work on and improve as the season progresses.