Can the Steelers achieve a playoff birth with Sophomore QB Kenny Pickett?

Posted on by Cillian Rice

Can the Steelers manage to stay involved in a very competitive AFC playoff picture in 2023?

Over the course of the Offseason, all the teams around the Steelers have gotten a whole lot better. The Chargers, Jets, Dolphins, Broncos and Browns have all had significant improvement to their teams, so how can the Steelers keep up?

Can the Steelers achieve a playoff birth with Sophomore QB Kenny Pickett?

Well to Start, the Steelers didn’t have a bad offseason themselves.  They completely rebuilt their secondary after losing Akhello Witherspoon and Cam Sutton in free agency. They added veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, as well as targeting 2 solid rookie CBs in the draft, those players being Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice.

On the Defensive line they added depth where it was needed, with former Wisconsin Badger and 2nd round pick  Keeanu Benton. They also added his teammate at Wisconsin , Nick Herbig. Herbig was a 4th round pick in the draft and is also the brother of Steeler offensive lineman Nate Herbig.

On Offense, the focus of the offseason has been to protect Pickett. They made big strives in doing this by drafting former Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones. Jones adds much needed help to the outside of the line, his presence will benefit Pickett as well as starting RB Najee Harris. As a Threat in the passing department, Allen Robinson was acquired in a trade with the Rams, as well as drafting TE Darnell Washington out of Georgia. Washington is a 6’7 athlete who can do just about anything on a football field. when lined up tight to the line he serves as a good blocker, and he is also productive as a pass catcher.

Support around Pickett


With all this new support around Pickett, it is a fair assumption to say he should be a breakout candidate in 2023. However, he had a rocky start to his NFL career. His very first game against the Jets in week 4 of the 2022 NFL season he threw 3 interceptions.

Kenny Pickett
Kenny Pickett’s Instagram Story

But every week it was clear there was progressions made by Kenny. He was becoming increasingly more decisive and was limiting his turnovers. He was constantly clutching games for the Steelers during the very last drive of games.

Has Kenny Pickett improved from his very first game in the NFL? Absolutely. But will the Steelers be able to rely on him to make a playoff push in 2023?

Well he definitely has the supporting cast to be that guy for the Steelers. Head coach Mike Tomlin is yet to have a losing season in his 16 years with the team. But that mediocrity isn’t enough for this team because on paper they may have one of the best defensive units in the NFL. It is time for this team to be a real threat in the AFC, and this year the franchise may be able to finally turn the page into the next chapter after Ben Roethlisberger’s departure in 2021. The team has one of the easiest schedules in the league and should be able to take advantage of that this year.

Sure, The Steelers have the roster to be a playoff team but the fate and future of this team lies within the hands of Kenny Pickett. Last year, the team had one of the most inefficient offenses in the league. This is partial due to offensive play-caller, Matt Canada’s inability to operate the offense. But if Kenny can produce they way I believe he can, I think the Steelers could find themselves in a wildcard position in 2023 and are potential a sneaky contender to win the AFC North.