Mike Tomlin explains expectations for Kenny Pickett in year two

Pittsburgh has a critical year ahead of them with Kenny Pickett. Even after signing Mitch Trubisky to a two-year contract, the Steelers took Pickett in the first round of the NFL Draft. And after a few games as the backup, they handed him the keys to the car — producing mixed results.

Now heading into Year Two, Mike Tomlin says the Steelers need Pickett to be “good.” At the very least, the fundamentals are something Pickett needs to lock down. More than just on the field as well, with Tomlin wanting him to fully embrace the role of being the Pittsburgh starting quarterback.

“We need him to do fundamental things well,” Tomlin said. “We need him to take care of the football. We need him to communicate. I’ll never ask him to not be himself but be his best self. Smile in the face of adversity. Understand his perspective often times is his unit’s perspective and own that component of the job.”

From a turnover perspective, Pickett vastly improved in the second half of the season. After throwing eight interceptions in his first five starts, the number went down to one over the final eight games. A huge improvement led to Pittsburgh winning on a weekly basis and even making a mini-playoff push.

Pickett was thrown into the fire during the season, potentially causing for chaos. Now, there is time for him to embrace the role and expand his mindset. Tomlin believes Pickett will have time to take on more responsibility and improve heading into 2023.

“He’s in a good place to absorb some of those things,” Tomlin said. “A year ago, he was focusing on surface-level things. Assignment, responsibilities, and so forth. Now, because of his experience, he has a perspective on where we can add to his to-do list. He’s absorbing more of the responsibility that comes with being him.”

Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season — a long drought for a franchise their size. Especially under Tomlin, nothing but winning has occurred for the Steelers.

In order to get back to having success in a loaded AFC, Pickett is going to have to be the guy. Tomlin is ready to watch the local kid take the next step in training camp. And then hopefully, it all translates well on the field when the Acrisure Stadium lights turn on in just over a month’s time.