PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – His work ethic praised from the head coach on down, Kenny Pickett even has his own office at the Steelers facility to study film and work. It's not just his, he shares it with an All-Pro who has helped him become a better quarterback.
Minkah Fitzpatrick often is an officemate with Pickett in that second-floor space. Sometimes the two are working independently, but Pickett uses those opportunities to learn more about defenses and even what Fitzpatrick sees in practice about him.
"A lot of the times I'm sitting there with him asking questions," Pickett said. "He's the best in the league at his position. He's a hell of a player. To be able to sit there with him and pick his brain for what he sees helps me. It helps me in practice try and play a little faster and it will translate in a game."
Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan said it was Pickett's initiative to find a spot to work and the coaching staff decided to set up an area for him. As Sullivan said anything to help him develop and what he's noticed is that Pickett has established a rhythm of what to watch in that office. What to go through on the player's day off (Tuesday) so he could be ready for the start of game week on a Wednesday. They have a couple of computers in there and a tape review system that both Pickett and Fitzpatrick call their own.
"It's the two Jersey boys right there and have a chance to go ahead and do a little extra work," Sullivan said. "And that's great. That's what you want your leaders to do."
Pickett has also been working with a camera in his helmet. Something he can then go upstairs and watch the tape to pick out any little details that can help. The second-year quarterback said most of the footage is tough to watch because there are bodies in the way, but he can see where his eyes are pre-snap-those pieces of information that can help.
"It's not perfect," Sullivan admitted. "I mean, it's not like having an iPhone back there, but it is it does give a perspective so that from a pre-snap standpoint, gives us a chance to see how you were looking here. What did you see? What were the tells by the alignment of the linebackers or where this player was, what have you."
Sullivan says they can match that video with all the different angles they already have in practice film to help him prepare with information or angles he has never seen before. Pickett says it gives him a leg up before he meets with Sullivan so the two are on the same page.
The one view Pickett said he would like to see is if they would put a camera on Minkah's helmet. That's the view he would want, but will settle for Fitzpatrick's viewpoints right now.
