PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s the dynamic of sports, the relationship when a new player comes in. They are ultimately trying to take your spot, but yet you owe it to them to be a good teammate and show them the ropes.
To that end, Kenny Pickett said on Friday, hours after he was drafted, he has already talked with quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
“They both reached out,” Pickett said. “I told Mitch, I don’t know if he remembered it, but senior year (of high school) he called me. He was trying to recruit me to North Carolina. It goes full circle.”
“It’s two great guys, I’m really looking forward to working with them.”
Trubisky came to the Steelers hoping for a clear shot to start after being a backup with the Bills last year. Now the former Bears number one overall pick will have to fight for it.
For Mason Rudolph, what crazy times. The third-round pick with the first-round grade had a quiet rookie season. He took no snaps watching Ben Roethlisberger. Then in game two of his second year, Ben goes out with a season-ending elbow injury. Mason loses his first start, beats the Bengals completing 85% of his passes and then a three-point loss to the Ravens. Later in the year, getting clubbed over the head by Myles Garrett, essentially ending his season.
He would end his third season with a 315-yard performance and near win in Cleveland. His only start of 2022 came last minute and was 30-50 for 242 yards with a touchdown and a pick in a tie with Detroit. This was supposed to be his time as well.
Pickett’s been the new guy before. His freshman year at Pitt Ben DiNucci was the starter and one-year transfer Max Browne was there for competition. A fluke play where DiNucci was hurt and Max Browne couldn’t find his helmet forced a burning of Pickett’s redshirt year. He would start the last two games of the season and led an upset win against number two Miami. That cemented his position for the next four years.
Pickett now back as the freshman with Rudolph the incumbent and Trubisky the one-year transfer looking for a second chance. Like that 2017 season, the three will work together, each looking for the opportunity.
“I just always try to improve,” Pickett said. “If there is something I can take from somebody’s game, I’m always going to do that. That’s why I’m excited to get to learn from Mason and Mitch and see what they do well. See if I can incorporate that with what I do. You are always learning, always evolving.”
Rudolph had a year in Matt Canada’s system, although a morphed system catered to what Roethlisberger did well. Pickett says he has a good feel because Canada was the offensive coordinator at Pitt recruiting him to play with the Panthers before Canada left for LSU.
“Just watching the games, I could tell it’s a lot of the stuff he’s always done,” Pickett said, admitting he watched most of the Steelers games because the Pitt team feels a kinship to their neighbors. “Getting the quarterback on the move, changing the launch points up, using athleticism which I feel like I have. I feel like I fit the mold that coach is looking for. I’m excited to get in that playbook and see what else he’s adding because every year he’s changing.”
It was a risk for Pickett to return to Pitt, but because of that choice he made it to the first round and eventually the Steelers.
“This is where I wanted to be when I made the decision to come back,” Pickett said. “I set out to do it. I had great support, my coaches and teammates, I knew we had a really special group at Pitt. If I came back I felt like we had a great shot to win a championship & that’s exactly what we did. When you win championships, things kind of fall in line with the individuals on the team.”
“I feel like a lot of people were saying why is he going back? How much better is he going to get, he’s been there for four years? I feel like I continue to improve every offseason because of how hard I work and obsess over the little things of getting better. There are plenty of areas I can improve. I don’t know what my ceiling will be, we will have to find out in a few years.”
We don’t know what might be higher, the expectations or the ceiling. Even Steelers Team President Art Rooney used Dan Marino’s name in introducing Pickett on Friday.
“It’s also something for me to be able to say we drafted somebody who broke all of Dan Marino’s records in college is pretty special,” Rooney said. “You all know a number of awards Kenny has won, but of course team goals are the ones that count & Kenny led his team to a championship this season & that’s what we are looking for here, to win a championship.”
I’m glad they didn’t pass on me. I’ve talked to Dan a bunch I’m going to continue to talk to him as a resource.
“There is a long list of great players here,” Pickett said. “I’m excited to get involved and meet those guys. Learn what they do really well and help us win a championship here.”