Kenny Pickett’s career is reaching a crossroads. He knows this too. The Steelers’ starting quarterback was Mason Rudolph during the offseason, and Pickett has yet to return to the lineup since recovering from an ankle injury that required surgery. It raises questions about the position in Pittsburgh going forward.
Pickett didn’t want to touch on those questions during his annual press conference on the final day of the season, when the players conducted interviews after washing their locks. Even if he doesn’t become a starter, the Steelers could keep him for two more years.
The next question is whether another team will make a trade. Pickett’s career rating was 78.8, far from perfect. In 25 career games, he had 13 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Through 25 games of the season, we have yet to see anything that would lead us to believe that an improvement in performance is imminent.
Steelers know this; otherwise, Pickett will return to the field when he is healthy. The Pittsburgh Steelers are on a roll entering the 2023 NFL season. They finished the season with a 10-7 record and earned a wild card in the playoffs. However, the team eventually suffered a heartbreaking loss in the Wild Card round against the Buffalo Bills.
As the Steelers look to the future, the questions turn to who will be the quarterback in 2024. This article shows that Kenny Pickett is the Steelers’ preferred starting quarterback over Mason Rudolph. The Steelers have finished the regular season with a .500 record or better for 17 consecutive years under head coach Mike Tomlin.
After losing 31-17 to the Bills in Super Wild Card Weekend, the team has some important decisions to make at the quarterback position this offseason. Remember, the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Nevertheless, late in the season and in the playoff games, the Steelers elected to start Rudolph in place of a healthy Pickett.
This is especially true given the possibility of naming Rudolph the long-term starter following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. At this point, the Steelers don’t seem satisfied with Rudolph and Pickett’s performance. On the other hand, many fans believe the more likely scenario is that the team explores all available options in the offseason.
Here, we take a look at why the Pittsburgh Steelers made Kenny Pickett their starting quarterback in 2024. His stats include a 62.0% completion rate, over 2,000 passing yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Instead, Mason Rudolph had a 74.3% completion rate, just under 720 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Still, Pickett’s ability to develop into a franchise quarterback is clear. Mason Rudolph, 28, has been the starting quarterback since 2018, but he has yet to lead a team to the Super Bowl. There are still growing pains, but being with Pickett will give him a chance to develop into an all-around champion. Kenny Pickett has won the hearts of Steelers fans.
With the support of the fans, the Steelers should allow Pickett to lead the team to victory. This will greatly enhance the relationship between the quarterback and the fans. Naming Pickett as the starting quarterback can give the offense a boost and give the fans a reason to cheer. With Pickett injured, the Steelers looked to Rudolph for an offensive spark.
Rudolph started three games, winning them all, and impressed with a 74.3% completion rate, 719 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. However, his dream season in the playoffs ended when he completed just 56 percent of his passes and threw an interception in the loss.
Although Rudolph showed positive results, his entire NFL career did not get him off to a solid start in Pittsburgh. In pursuit of a starting job, Rudolph may look for better opportunities outside of Pittsburgh. In general, the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the fence about their starting quarterback for 2024.
Evidence suggests that Kenny Pickett will be better than Mason Rudolph. Pickett’s strength, youth, and strong connection with the fans are strong reasons for him to lead the Steelers into a new era. Of course, Mason Rudolph showed his worth, especially late in the season.
As the Steelers look to recover and return to the championship game, the decision to make Pickett the starting quarterback is unsurprising and promising as Pittsburgh finishes the season with the best of the year and 17th consecutive year a .500 or better record season. Under head coach Mike Tomlin. However, the past two years have been interesting as the team relied on a strong defense to overcome the offensive woes at quarterback.
The Steelers selected Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He is expected to remain on his rookie contract for two years with a five-year option. Despite the investment, the franchise decided to start the team’s playoff games with a healthy Pickett, Mason Rudolph, whom the team could name as the long-term starter after Ben Roethlisberger retires.
At one point, Pittsburgh now said Rudolph and Pickett weren’t playing well enough to be part of the organization. They may be able to give Pickett one more year to prove himself after firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada midway through the season, but it appears the team will explore all avenues this time of year.
As a result of the NFL Playoffs, Pittsburgh will end up with the 19th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They are LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. of Washington. Or would they be willing to trade one of their top quarterback targets, like North Carolina’s Drake Maye, but also want to go in a new direction, knowing the lineup looks this way.
If Chicago gets the first quarterback, it opens the door for the Bears to trade quarterback Justin Fields, who will remain on his rookie contract with a fifth-year option and a year, possibly for a second. The former 11th overall pick has completed 61.4% of his passes for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions, as well as rushing for 5.3 yards per carry and four carries so far.
If the Seahawks and Giants take a quarterback in the draft, does that open the door for Daniel Jones and Geno Smith to play elsewhere? The 35-year-old has played for 12 seasons but has yet to reach the Finals. The Illinois native will surpass 40,000 passing yards next season. In 2023, he missed half the season with a torn Achilles tendon, limiting him to 2,331 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
Baker Mayfield, Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill are probably the next most likely free agent candidates, but Mayfield is expected to return to Tampa Bay. From there, the team may have to rely on road-savvy veterans like Gardner Minshew, Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett and Joe Flacco.
The Broncos and Titans have made it clear that neither Wilson nor Tannehill are scheduled to return next season. However, the addition of a successful veteran stabilizes the locker room. The Steelers’ season ended with a blowout loss to the Bills.
