Kenny Pickett to undergo surgery on ankle injury, expected to miss 2-4 weeks

Some bad news got even worse on Sunday following the Steelers’ 24-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals regarding starting quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Pickett entered Sunday’s matchup with a pre-existing ankle issue and had to exit the game in the first half after being tackled near the goal line. He’d never return to the game and was able to walk off of the field as he exited, but according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pickett will undergo a surgical procedure on his injured ankle Monday and is expected to be out for 2-4 weeks.

Pickett has thrown for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions this season as Pittsburgh’s starter, leading them to a 7-4 start to the season prior to his injury on Sunday despite not posting the most impressive stats in the league.

Backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky finished the game under center for the Steelers for the second time this season in place of an injured Pickett, doing so previously in Week 8 of the season versus the Jacksonville Jaguars when Pickett exited the game with a rib injury.

In that matchup Trubisky completed 55.6% of his passes for 138 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions in a loss, and on Sunday he threw for 117 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Cardinals. The Steelers have lost all three games Trubisky has appeared in this season, and hopefully for Pittsburgh, those results change as he assumes the role of the team’s start in Pickett’s absence.

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick played through broken hand against Cardinals

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick reportedly suffered a break in his left hand mid-game on Sunday but after receiving treatment and a cast, the veteran returned to finish the game, according to Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin. The defender returned to action this week after recovering from a hamstring injury that had him on the sidelines for the last four games.

The 27-year-old came into the game tied for second on the Steelers with 54 tackles (37 solo). He added five more tackles on Sunday in the 24-10 loss.

Cameras captured Fitzpatrick with the cast on his left hand as he traded jerseys with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray after the game. It’s unclear how the injury will impact him for the rest of the season but if he could return and play on Sunday, it’s possible he can play through it for the final five games of the season.

Kyler Murray & Minkah Fitzpatrick with the jersey exchange pic.twitter.com/g3ifZvQMnJ

— Omar Ruiz (@OmarDRuiz) December 3, 2023

The Steelers and Cardinals had to wait out two weather delays that kept the game going well into the second quarter of the late window games.

On3’s Nikki Chavanelle contributed to this report.