Kenny Pickett pumped for Backyard Brawl, feels well-prepared for Steelers’ regular season

Kenny Pickett enthusiastically intends on being at Acrisure Stadium for Thursday’s Backyard Brawl.

“I can’t wait,” Pickett said of the Pitt/West Virginia game. “It’s gonna be an awesome game. I really wish I had a chance to play in it in college.”

Pickett happily will settle for taking the field on the North Shore stadium instead for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team for which he wrapped up a rookie preseason that by most measures must be considered a success.

Pickett completed 10 of 14 passes for 90 yards and led the Steelers into field-goal range during two of his three possessions as quarterback during Sunday’s 19-9 win against the Detroit Lions.

“I thought it went really well,” Pickett said. “We were taking shots that we had when they were there, just taking what the defense gave us (otherwise) when I was in there. We were moving the ball well. Obviously, you want to score touchdowns, though, so that’s something we want to look at.”

Kenny Pickett after his 3rd preseason game pic.twitter.com/iXxKrGl0NH

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 28, 2022

Taking over after Mitch Trubisky played the first half, Pickett played the third quarter and had one drive bleed over into the fourth.

It was the first preseason game in which Pickett did not guide the offense to a touchdown, as well as the first time he did not get an opportunity to lead the 2-minute offense. But the offense did gain 119 yards and had seven first downs during his three drives.

“I thought it was in line with all of his performances,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “He was wired in. He had an opinion. He was competitive. He was urgent. I thought the group reflected it.”

Related:

• RB McCoy back for Brawl
• Pitt's top 5 Backyard Brawl wins
• Top 5 West Virginia Backyard Brawl wins

Pickett’s best throw was a 29-yard back-shoulder pass down the left sideline to veteran Miles Boykin. He completed passes to six receivers and targeted seven.

Pickett said he hasn’t been given a timetable for when he, Trubisky and Mason Rudolph will be told the QB depth chart headed into the regular season. For that matter, he said he didn’t even know when or how much he was going to play Sunday.

It seems a foregone conclusion Tomlin will name Trubisky the starter for the Sept. 11 opener at the Cincinnati Bengals, but Pickett’s ascension to No. 2 also appears apparent.

“Listen, I am a quarterback. I want to play. I am a football player. I want to be out there every snap,” Pickett said. “I want to play every snap in the preseason (too), but that’s just not how it goes. There is one ball. One guy gets to go out there.

“If it’s me (as starter) I want to play as hard as I possibly can and be the best I can. If it’s Mitch or it’s Mason, whatever it is, I will support them and be ready when my number is called and be ready on the sideline as I can be. So whatever it is I will be ready for that job.”

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