Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt QB Ready to Return for Steelers

Former Pitt Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett feels he's ready to play for the Steelers now.

Stephen Thompson

Former Pitt QB Ready to Return for Steelers
Former Pitt QB Ready to Return for Steelers /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to do more than just survive a week without their starting quarterback, former Pitt Panthers star Kenny Pickett. And after Mason Rudolph lit up the Cincinnati Bengals in a blowout win, they can approach his injury recovery with some more caution. 

But Pickett, the Steelers' 2022 first-round draft pick coming out of Pitt, said he feels ready to get back on the field this week against the Seattle Seahawks and that the final decision is up to the medical staff. 

"I feel like I could [play]," Pickett said. "I always try to push myself. It's the trainers, it's the coaches, it's what they see me moving and how they want to go about it."

Pickett suffered an ankle injury that required tightrope surgery and was given a timetable of roughly two to four weeks for his recovery. At the midway point of Week 16, with a West Coast road trip looming, Pickett is 28 days removed from the injury and 27 days removed from surgery. 

The Steelers are keeping an open mind regarding Pickett's injury as they go through practices with the goal of keeping their slim playoff hopes alive with a win over Seattle. But Rudolph enters the week as the starting quarterback and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin declined to confirm who would start if Pickett is cleared to play. 

Pickett is a competitive guy and wants desperately to be back on the field but he has to trust the decisions of the medical staff and will let them guide him through his recovery in the leadup to kickoff against Seattle. 

"It's just taking it a day at a time," Pickett said. "They have a plan for me. I'm just going by what they tell me."

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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