Former Pitt QB Kenny Pickett Poised to Join NFL Elite

One NFL Network analyst believes former Pitt Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett is joined the league's elite.

PITTSBURGH -- Kenny Pickett's rocky introduction to the NFL ended strong, as he won five of his final six starts to close the 2022-23 season and helped lift the Pittsburgh Steelers back into playoff contention. Just one year removed from slinging touchdowns for the Pitt Panthers, Pickett is poised to take a major step forward, according to one NFL Network analyst. 

Kyle Brandt said on Good Morning Football that he is buying stock in Pickett now. While the rest of the football word glosses over the former Pitt star and his teammates in Pittsburgh, Brandt expects big things. 

"There's a team - and I swear they still exist - they don't have a really glamorous draft pick, they weren't in the playoffs last year, but I swear the Pittsburgh Steelers still exist," Brandt said. "I don't know if we've talked about them since December, I don't know if we've talked to this guy but I'm into Kenny Pickett. I'm developing a sort of football crush on Kenny Pickett."

Is @kennypickett10 joining the elite QB discussion this season? 👀 @KyleBrandt (via @gmfb) pic.twitter.com/CYJmFlCcbz

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 11, 2023

Brandt was impressed with how Pickett finished games and finished his season. Pickett's performances in the clutch down the stretch helped the Steelers battle back into the playoff picture and has Brandt excited about what year two has in store. 

"Kenny Pickett's went on this sleepy little run, won his last five game that he started and finished, he threw one interception in his last eight games, he had two game-winning touchdown passes inside the final minute of the fourth quarter - the first rookie in history to do it."

Brandt went as far to say that Pickett could be the next great quarterback to come out of the AFC, contending with established superstars like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. 

"I like Kenny Pickett and I know it's not super sexy and it's not this guy and Burrow and Allen and Mahomes, but how cool would it be if out of that crazy AFC quarterback fray, another challenger arose and we're like 'Wow, Pickett's really slinging it.'?" Brandt said. "I like what they did last year."

He went on to praise the quiet way Pickett and his coaching staff have approached the offseason. Brandt believes Pickett is flying under the radar for now but won't be once the season begins.

"I like Pickett," Brandt concluded "I like the way he's going anout his business. I like what Pittsburgh's doing around him. No one's talking about it but I like Pickett."

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