Kenny Pickett forced out of Steelers loss to Ravens, remains in concussion protocol

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett left Sunday’s home game before the end of the first quarter and did not return after being placed in NFL concussion protocol.

Veteran Mitch Trubisky replaced him in facing the Baltimore Ravens, which went on to win the game 16-14.

After absorbing a tackle to end the Steelers’ first offensive series of the game, Pickett was evaluated for a concussion and spent several minutes in the medical tent on the sidelines. But he was able to be back on the field for the Steelers by the time their next offensive drive began.

The Steelers, at that point, announced Pickett had been evaluated for a possible concussion but was cleared to return. Pickett was at quarterback for all three of the plays of that drive — two were Najee Harris runs, one was an incompletion. But after that possession ended, Pickett headed to the locker room.

“I don’t know about the sequence or the details regarding the sequence,” coach Mike Tomlin said.

Trubisky directed a touchdown drive in his first series of play in almost two months. He previously replaced Pickett during an Oct. 16 home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — also because of a concussion.

The Steelers’ first-round pick out of Pitt, Pickett was cleared to play in the ensuing week’s game. Sunday was his ninth career start.

“We knew he was getting checked out,” center Mason Cole said of Pickett being evaluated after getting hit,” and then he came back in (but) the next drive Mitch was going in, so that’s when we found out (Pickett was out for good).”

Signed over the offseason, Trubisky won a training-camp competition to begin the season as the starter. He started the first four game before being replaced at halftime of the Oct. 1 home game against the New York Jets, when Pickett made his NFL debut.

Trubisky said that on Sunday after Pickett was hit, he repeatedly asked Pickett how he was feeling and that Pickett kept responding that he was feeling “fine.”

“I think, first and foremost, just making sure he’s all right, seeing if he can go,” Trubisky said of his mindset during that time. “And then me just being prepared on the sidelines. Always having those conversations (Pickett) and (quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan), seeing what (the opposing defense) is giving us, what plays we’ve got coming up next. And then when (Pickett) couldn’t go, I was ready to step in. That’s kind of how that went.”

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