Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt QB Kenny Pickett Primed for Breakout Year

The former Pitt Panthers star is poised for a big year according to Pro Football Focus.

Stephen Thompson

Former Pitt QB Kenny Pickett Primed for Breakout Year
Former Pitt QB Kenny Pickett Primed for Breakout Year /
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PITTSBURGH -- He seized the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting job midway through the 2023 NFL season and led them on a second half push towards the playoffs that fell just inches short. Now, with an improved offense surrounding him, the former Pitt Panthers star is poised to make a big leap forward. 

Pro Football Focus' Jim Wyman named Pickett, entering his second year out of Pitt, to his 2023 All-Breakout Team. He believes Pickett's improved play in the second half of the year will propel him to a better, more complete year two. 

"His counting stats leave something to be desired, as Pickett finished his rookie year throwing for just 2,404 yards with only seven touchdowns and nine interceptions without a single multi-TD game," Wyman wrote. "However, the Steelers’ late-season playoff push coincided directly with Pickett’s late-season improvement."

Pickett's PFF grades were markedly better over the final six weeks of the regular season than they were in his first seven games. He was steady if unspectacular but 2023 could hold more for him if he remains on the same trajectory. 

"Starting with Week 12, where he finished with an 88.5 offensive grade and an 86.3 passing grade, Pickett didn’t have a single game where his offense or passing grade dipped below 70 for the rest of the year (excluding a Week 14 matchup against Baltimore where he was knocked out early with a concussion)," Weyman said. "Pickett finished the season with a 75.5 offensive grade and 73.5 passing grade and with that late-season push, he could be primed for a big year in 2023."

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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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