Not used to being a backup, Kenny Pickett willing to do all he can for Steelers as QB2

Since he was a young boy, Kenny Pickett has spent exactly 11 weeks of his life as a backup quarterback.

Until Sunday, when he will be the No. 2 for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. The only other time — presumably, ever in Pickett’s life — he was not the starter was over the first 11 games of Pitt’s 2017 season when Pickett was a true freshman reserve behind Max Browne and Ben DiNucci.

“So I’ll take that experience and what I’ve done in college and kind of improve on and be the best I can be for the team,” Pickett said after Steelers practice Wednesday.

Pickett became a four-year starter at Pitt after starring at Ocean Township High School in New Jersey. The Steelers’ first-round pick, Pickett this week was informed he wound up No. 2 in the quarterback pecking order behind Mitch Trubisky but ahead of Mason Rudolph.

Is being the No. 2 as a rookie what Pickett expected when training camp began?

“Everyone asks about the expectations; I just really take it day by day,” he said. “There is a lot going on, a lot that goes into being a professional quarterback, so I am just learning so much. I just want to keep improving. Everything else will take care of itself if I take care of that.”

Pickett said he wasn’t surprised by No. 2 designation, given where he had been taking practice reps in recent weeks as the preseason wound down. Pickett said he wasn’t thrown by the “copy/paste component” error the Steelers made Monday when it released an initial season depth chart that had Rudolph at No. 2.

“No, I trust coach Tomlin a lot,” Pickett said, “so when he told the team, I knew that it was what it was (and) not what was released, obviously, so I was OK.”

But what does Pickett see of his role and duties now that he won’t be on the field taking the first snap of the first game that counts? How will Pickett approach a week of practice in which the coaches are gameplanning around Trubisky?

“Just kind of being there, an extra coach, whatever we need, whatever Mitch needs to help him out,” Pickett said. “Give the guys a great look on the (scout team) and be a guy for Mitch on the sideline, go off what I see, help them any way I can.”

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