(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers made the playoffs this year, but that doesn’t mean head coach Mike Tomlin is going to rest on his laurels.
Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett didn’t show much improvement and a midseason ankle injury gave way to third-stringer Mason Rudolph taking over as the starter at the end of the year even when Pickett fully recovered from his injury.
It sounds as though Pickett will be in line to start again in 2024, but Tomlin told reporters Thursday that he and Picket understand how important this upcoming season will be for the quarterback’s development (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor).
Tomlin says that he met with Kenny Pickett this morning and they acknowledged 2024 is a “huuuuuge” year for him.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 18, 2024
Pickett’s case is an interesting one because he hasn’t played poorly, but he hasn’t played well enough to lead the Steelers to wins on his own.
The team is mostly led by it’s defense to remain competitive, with Pickett providing just enough offense to eke out a win.
Rudolph, meanwhile, proved that he could score in bunches with the same offense – although he did get to play in a different system after the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada midway through the season.
Reading between the lines a bit, Tomlin’s statement more-or-less means that he and the Steelers could re-evaluate the quarterback position next year if Pickett doesn’t show enough improvement.
A new offensive coordinator could fix everything or make it worse, but the Steelers need to do something with the rest of the division getting better.
The Baltimore Ravens are one of the best teams this year, the Cleveland Browns looked ascendant even without a quarterback, and the Cincinnati Bengals will always be a threat with Joe Burrow under center.
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