Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett played two series in Thursday night’s preseason finale, and the Steelers scored touchdowns on both of them. But that’s not the main reason that Mike Tomlin said after the game that he’s pleased with Pickett’s growth.
Tomlin said Pickett has been “really solid” throwing the ball in training camp and the preseason, but he said what he really likes is the way that Pickett has grown as a leader of the football team as his second season approaches.
“The leadership things, the communication things, the bringing-people-together things,” Tomlin said. “That is significant. It’s not play related, but it is. He is the catalyst for that unit, he controls the pace and the tenor of that unit, and I think if he’s comfortable that unit is comfortable, and I think that’s been the biggest difference.”
The Steelers drafted Pickett to be the franchise quarterback, and Tomlin believes Pickett is developing into that, and not just as a passer.