New Steelers QB's Russell Wilson, Justin Fields Fall Short Of 2023 Kenny Pickett During Spring: 'Kenny Was On A Different Level'
New Steelers QB's Russell Wilson, Justin Fields Fall Short Of 2023 Kenny Pickett During Spring: 'Kenny Was On A Different Level'
The Pittsburgh Steelers thought they had their franchise quarterback ahead of the 2023 NFL season. Kenny Pickett had glowing reports written about him coming out of training camp, while looking flawless during the preseason. Obviously, the success didn't translate to the games that matter. Pickett struggled in his second season, and he found himself traded to the Philadelphia Eagles after the Steelers signed Russell Wilson. Shortly after, they traded for Justin Fields, manufacturing one of the more interesting quarterback rooms in the league.
The expectations for Pickett were sky-high heading into the 2023 season. He was expected to breakout, and was even considered by some as a dark horse MVP candidate. Pickett's career in Pittsburgh soon fell apart, however. It was a combination of injuries, poor play-calling, and inconsistent performances. Now, the Steelers are hoping to see an upgrade at the position from Wilson and Fields. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly recently appeared on 93.7 The Fan where he was asked if Fields has played as well in practice as Pickett did during the 2023 offseason.
"Nah, Kenny was pretty flawless all throughout training camp and all through OTAs and minicamp last year. Kenny was on a different level in April, May, June, and obviously in August. He fooled me pretty good. I mean he was absolutely flawless. I would say he was much better than what we saw out of both of the quarterbacks really."
This is not a great sign for Steelers fans, but it is important to remember how little performances during OTAs and minicamp matter. Players are shaking the rust off from the offseason, while adjusting to new teammates. Both Fields and Wilson are embarking on their first season in Pittsburgh, which obviously takes some adjusting.
The Steelers are also in the process of learning a new offense under Arthur Smith, which is another major adjustment for the new quarterbacks to go through. They are mostly running plays against air, or a padless defense. It's impossible to predict how Wilson and Fields will perform during the regular season based off of a few practices in May and June. The public will have a better idea of how the two quarterbacks will look once training camp rolls around.
Pickett looked great during offseason practices and training camp in 2023. Then, the regular season began and the offense struggled mightily. A lot of that had to do with former Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada, but Pickett also had a hand in the offensive shortcomings. There were many errant passes, and Pickett's tendency of spinning into defenders in the backfield killed a lot of drives for Pittsburgh.
There will certainly be growing pains for Wilson or Fields once the regular season kicks off, but a new and refreshed offense should see a significant jump in production. Pittsburgh's offense struggled to score in most games in 2023, which likely won't be the case under Smith.
Steelers Will See An Upgrade At Quarterback No Matter What
Wilson is expected to start the season for the Steelers, with Fields being given a chance to compete for the starting gig during training camp. No matter who starts, the outcome should be better than what was seen from Pickett in 2023. Wilson has seen significant experience and success in the league, and is coming off of a season where he threw 26 touchdowns while quarterbacking the Denver Broncos.
On the other hand, Fields has had a lot of up and down performances since entering the NFL. While with the Chicago Bears, there was a lot of inconsistency around him. There also wasn't a great effort in providing Fields any playmakers. That won't be the case in Pittsburgh, and his athleticism alone gives him limitless potential.
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