Former NFL QB sees shades of Ben Roethlisberger in Kenny Pickett

Following in the footsteps of a future Hall of Fame quarterback is never easy, but something that Kenny Pickett was tasked when when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Ben Roethlisberger set the standard high at the quarterback position in Pittsburgh, playing 18 straight seasons for the Steelers and delivering the city two Super Bowl victories. But according to former longtime Steelers backup Charlie Batch, Pickett already had shades of Roethlisberger in him.

“Now he’s had a chance to breathe this offseason, truly get a few weeks off that he can allow his body to adjust where everybody’s talked about the added muscle that he mentioned 13 pounds in this off season,” Batch said. “And when I had the opportunity to just sit down and talk to him, I say, ‘Hey man, how’s everything going?’ He said, ‘Man, it’s night and day compared to this time last year? And that lets me know the game is slowing down for him. And when you watch him methodically go through his reads and practice, it’s like, ‘Oh, this guy gets it.'”

Pickett is expected to take a step up this season in his second year in the league, making 12 starts for Pittsburgh in his rookie season and throwing for 2,404 yards and seven touchdowns. But the strides he’s made and shown this offseason already remind Batch of Roethlisberger when he was in a similar stage of his career.

“And earlier this offseason, I was asked, ‘Hey, how do you compare Kenny to Ben Roethlisberger between Year One and Year Two?’ Everything that I just mentioned reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger,” Batch said.

Batch served as Roethlisberger’s backup for over a decade during his NFL career, and definitely has the first-hand experience to make such comparisons.

Roethlisberger did have a prolific start to his NFL career, earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after leading the Steelers to a perfect 13-0 record as a starter behind his 2,621 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.

Then Big Ben took things to another level in his second season, throwing for 2,385 yards and 17 touchdowns yet again, but this time leading the Steelers on a prolific playoff run capped off with a Super Bowl XL victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Pickett did lead the Steelers to a winning record as a starter, and his growth and comfort in the team’s offense has been well-documented this offseason. And it will definitely be interesting to see how he improves on his game in year two as he looks to fill the big shoes left behind by Big Ben Roethlisberger.