LATROBE, Pa. -- Year 2 for Kenny Pickett is not just about the expected growth as a passer in today's NFL.
Add in the development of his leadership, his involvement in how the offense's flow will be dictated on a weekly basis, and the expectation that the starting quarterback of a team that ran the ball more often than more than half of the NFL last season can prove why his offense should come with more balance.
Year 1 was brought with uncertainty and growing pains, as Pickett took reps behind Week 1 starter Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph during his first training camp sessions at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. Even after being picked with the 20th selection in the 2020 draft, the former Pitt quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist still had to gather the respect of his teammates and earn the right to be the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger.
Bringing things into Year 2 is a completely different ballgame for Pickett. The Steelers are his team now. Matt Canada's offense is his. The team just might sink or swim depending on the strides the 25-year old can make within time.
The spring and summer OTAs and mandatory minicamp meant that Pickett could begin to season this offense with his own flavor, and the improvements he is expecting for himself and -- in turn -- the rest of the offense can lie on his right arm.
“Yeah, I think I already have. I think I was a part of a good process of adding some things during this offseason and during the spring, taking some things away that we didn’t like and going back and watching the tape," Pickett said Wednesday upon arriving to Saint Vincent College. "I feel like I’ve been a part of those conversations. I think, definitely, when the game plan starts coming around I’ll have an input as well.”
Pickett still has Trubisky and Rudolph peeking behind his shoulder, but the space between Pickett and his veteran counterparts is vast by comparison. The training wheels are off by this point, and he has much to build off of from last year's performance of a 63% completion rate, 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
“Just go out here and win," Pickett said of his own expectations. "You can get into expectation of numbers and stuff like that. I just want to go out there and win. Whatever it takes, whatever those numbers look like, that’s all I’m focused on.”
Rather than Trubisky and Rudolph being Pickett's biggest threats over these next 22 days, Pickett's largest rivals will be the larger ones lining up opposite of him.
General manager Omar Khan was generous in spending to upgrade his defense this offseason, and now Pickett will take the "iron sharpens iron" mentality up against T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Co. on a daily basis. But, it's more than comparing apples to oranges and the Steelers' offense sharpening up against its counterpart; Pickett's growth in 2023 which starts with facing that unit could be the difference in the Steelers earning a spot in the postseason or being sent home after Week 18 for the second season in a row.
“It goes both ways," Pickett said. "They’re a top defense and we’re striving to be a top offense. I think going at them every single day and pushing them every single day like they do to us, I think it’s only going to make us better as a team.”
As for how the offense is going to project in 2023, Canada said during minicamp that he expects his offense to be a physical one that's watermarked by running the football.
Pickett expects it to work out in a slightly different way.
“We need balance," Pickett said. "I think that’s the key to success in this league. You can’t be one-dimensional, so I’m excited to see what that looks like and push the ball down the field and hand it off to (Najee Harris) and see what he can do. I know he’s been working really hard, so I think we have a really good, balanced team this year. That’s what I want to see.”
Regardless of how the offense is going to flow, Mike Tomlin sees it evolving all while Pickett takes his "second lap" around the NFL.
"We've got to maintain possession of the ball, we've got to maintain a scoring pace, we've got to be well-balanced, we've got to utilize our eligibles and our talents, we've got to protect our quarterback," Tomlin said. "There's a lot of layers to that discussion, but that's why we're here. As far as Kenny goes, specifically, this is his second lap around the track for him like it is all our second-year players, so I think it's reasonable for them to proceed with that 'knowing' and that 'knowing' to be displayed and the production an the consistency of their play. He's no different than any second-year player in that regard. It's just that he's our quarterback."
Competition will flow for many other positions throughout training camp, but Pickett will be able to focus on building the foundation for himself to flourish, as well as for the rest of the offense to jump aboard. The offense found momentum and its identity after the bye week in 2022, and while the beginning of the 2023 season doesn't necessarily reflect a carry-over from 2022, Pickett still has Harris, Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth to connect with, while veteran Allen Robinson can smoothly transition in as the team's No. 3 receiver, Calvin Austin can be ushered in as a gadget piece, and Darnell Washington can take snaps in-line as the team's primary blocking tight end and help the running game.
“I think you definitely have familiarity with players and guys that I have reps with, so there’s momentum in that sense of it," Pickett said. "Nothing that we did last year has any affect on this season or gives us any kind of leg-up on anybody, but I think being able to play with guys for a year, being in a system for a year, and having an understanding of how each guy plays, I think there’s some kind of momentum there.
"... We saw what we did well and we took a lot of those things from the Bye week and we fixed them and got them right, so I think that’s a good point to build off of.”
Pickett noted he had been working to strengthen his arm over this offseason, and that he felt he is fully corrected of his interception issues that plagued him early last season. He considered Trubisky and Rudolph as "extra coaches" for him on the sideline and has earned and commanded the respect of his locker room, with training camp officially set to kick off at 1:55 p.m. Thursday in Latrobe.
“I think it’s a natural progression," Pickett said. "When I first got here it’s better to be seen rather than heard. Being a young guy coming in I wanted the respect of my teammates and once I felt like I had that respect then I could go be a more vocal leader and run the offense, which I felt like I did this spring. I think it’s a gradual progression. It’s something that I don’t take lightly. I take it very seriously. I take a lot of pride in the fact that the guys have that respect looking at me. I’m just looking to continue to build on that and get ready to do.”
• For more coverage of training camp from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, follow along with our Steelers team feed for around-the-clock news and analysis from DK and me.
