QB Kenny Pickett of the Pittsburgh Steelers is statistically the worst since the Super Bowl era began in 1966 and has a poor throwing history.
Since the Super Bowl era began in 1966, only quarterback Kenny Pickett of the Pittsburgh Steelers had a throwing touchdown rate lower than 2%.
Including 335 active and retired NFL players, the group of quarterbacks with 500+ career passes that qualify for that statistic consists of. With a 6.2% rate and a 6.1% rate, respectively, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
Pittsburgh Steelers
are the only two players in the top 10 who were born after 1975.
Of the players who are currently in the NFL, only five make it into the top 25. With a 3.8% throwing touchdown rate, 2023 backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky of the Pittsburgh Steelers nearly doubles Pickett’s average.
QB Kenny Pickett of the Pittsburgh Steelers did not significantly improve in his sophomore campaign.
Some may view Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett’s sophomore campaign as a decline. With just one fewer game played, he went from having 2,404 yards passing in 2022 to 2,070 yards passing in 2023.
He completed fewer passes (62% vs. 63%), and his 2022 passing total of seven touchdowns was less than that of 2023’s six touchdowns. The fact that he reduced his interceptions from nine to four is the one noteworthy improvement that could eclipse the other statistical regressions.
Despite the tiny sample size, many supporters would prefer to see the Pittsburgh Steelers move on from Kenny Pickett.
As a starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickett has a 14-10 record. Head coach Mike Tomlin stated to The Athletic that one strategy the team will use to improve Pickett is to introduce more competition.
Despite just playing in one more game than Pickett, Fields had a nearly 500-yard gain in passing yards in 2023. In 2023, he will have more passing touchdowns (16) than Pickett has ever had in his career. With 1,143 yards of rushing in 2022, Fields also brings a running upside that Pickett does not have.
The ability to handle the ball is one advantage Pickett has over Fields. Every year that he has played, Fields has thrown at least nine interceptions; in 2023, Pickett’s total reduced to only four. Fields has also fumbled 16 times in his career, and the Steelers are a methodical defensive unit that cannot afford a lot of turnovers.
Though it might potentially lead to a huge year-three jump from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round draft pick, Fields’ notable development in the passing game over the last three years could see him be a good QB for a team in need in 2024.