Kenny Pickett says he's 'really mastering' the Steelers offense, team is rolling in OTAs

Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett had an up-and-down rookie season with the Steelers, but he’s feeling significantly more comfortable in the offense going into his second year.

As OTAs continue this spring, Pickett has had a chance to further build rapport with his targets.

He’s also gotten more comfortable being a team leader.

“Really mastering the offense and being an extension of the coaching staff,” Pickett said. “I can echo things and say how I want it and how I like it. The communication from player to coach has been great. We’re kind of spreading it out to the receiving room, the tight ends. Everyone is on the same page. I think communication is No. 1 in my position and letting everyone know where they need to be. These guys are all professionals, and they show up and work hard.”

A year ago, Kenny Pickett was learning everything for the first time.

He’d eventually get it down enough to supplant Mitch Trubisky as the team’s starting quarterback, taking over in Week 5 and going most of the rest of the way, with absences in Week 14 and Week 15 due to a concussion.

There are both positives and negatives to pull from his performance.

He failed to have a single game with multiple touchdown passes. On the flip side, he led four game-winning drives and three fourth-quarter comebacks.

So even if the numbers weren’t always there, Kenny Pickett was helping the team win games.

He’ll be looking to expand on that going forward, with the Steelers adding considerable pieces around him this offseason, including veteran receiver Allen Robinson and new draftee Darnell Washington, a massive and athletic tight end out of Georgia.

“We’ve got the guys. We’ve just got to go execute now,” Pickett said, according to the team’s website. “That’s how football is. At some point, it’s players not plays. Guys are working. They’re showing up with great attitudes with one goal in mind. It’s good to see. It’s fun to be around and compete against the great defense we have.”

Pittsburgh finished 9-8 last season, failing to make the playoffs. The Steelers haven’t made it past the Wild Card round of the playoffs since 2017, so there’s work to be done.

If Kenny Pickett can take his game to the next level, the Steelers could be a contender again.

Pickett finished his rookie season 245-of-389 (63.0%) passing for 2,404 yards, with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.