Steelers' Kenny Pickett Ruled Out vs. Bucs After Suffering Concussion
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a concussion after exiting in the third quarter.
He went back to the locker room and was subsequently replaced by Mitchell Trubisky.
The 24-year-old was the first QB selected in the 2022 NFL draft, coming off the board with the No. 20 pick. It was the latest the first signal-caller was taken in a draft since 1997.
Pickett began the year as the backup to Trubisky but showed enough to take over the starting job as the season progressed. He entered Sunday's game with 447 passing yards, zero touchdown throws and four interceptions.
The Steelers made a dream come true when they chose Pickett. The New Jersey native spent five years playing for the Pittsburgh Panthers, emerging as the team's full-time starter at the beginning of his sophomore season.
Pickett took full advantage of his extra year of eligibility in 2021 and established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. He threw for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. He led Pitt to an 11-2 record and its first ACC Championship in program history. It was the Panthers' best record since 1976.
The Steelers signed Trubisky this offseason, which gave them the option of taking a slow approach with Pickett's development. However, Trubisky's lackluster play opened the door for Pickett to see the field. While the rookie is sidelined, Pittsburgh will be hopeful Trubisky can lead its offense better this time around.
In his first five NFL seasons, the 28-year-old had 10,652 career passing yards, 64 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. The former first-round pick by the Chicago Bears spent the 2021 season with the Buffalo Bills as backup to Josh Allen.
The Steelers also have Mason Rudolph as their third-string quarterback. He'll back up Trubisky while Pickett is out.
