Steelers' Next Franchise QB may already be in their own Backyard

This past weekend I was back at Heinz Field watching two football games with two very different outcomes. Yet, both could someday be significantly connected. 

On Saturday, the Pitt Panthers defeated New Hampshire 77-7. They did what they were supposed to do, crushing an FCS team following an embarrassing loss at home. But the real eye-catching story for me was yet again the play of senior QB Kenny Pickett, who helped Pitt compile a school record 707 total yards and score the most points by a Panthers team since 1926.

Pickett was masterful, throwing for 403 yds and 5 TD's for the second consecutive game. He’s been one of the best players in all of college football so far this season - as it appears his decision to stay at Pitt for his senior year was a wise choice in terms of improving his draft stock. He’s thrown for 15 TD’s to just 1 interception. If Pitt had made a few more key defensive stops the previous week against Western Michigan, there's no question Pickett would be scratching the Heisman-contention surface.

His individual performance was inspiring. But on the exact same field just about 24 hours later - the mood completely changed. It went from inspiring, to downright deflating.

As one QB in the Steel city rises, another seems to be deteriorating. Ben Roethlisberger’s Steelers fell to the Bengals. At home. For the first time since 2015. It was also their first time losing in back to back home weeks since 2003. They finished that season 6-10, their last losing season. At the center of it all was the guy I vehemently defended all offseason, Big Ben. Without going into great detail about he and the offense’s performance, I'll just say it was atrocious, for the third consecutive week.

And listen, i've been a staunch Roethlisberger supporter for about as long as I can remember. He’s a Hall of Famer. A champion. And one of the most underrated players of our generation. I firmly believed that with an adequate OL and a semblance of a run game, Ben could have taken the Steelers on another Super Bowl quest this season. 

But as we sit here today, that just doesn’t feel possible. So with each passing week and game, we can glean that we are unfortunately at the beginning of the end of Ben Roethlisberger’s career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Meaning, it’s already time to speculate who the next QB, and face of the franchise, could be. Why now? Because it’s the most important position in all of sports. And if you’re giving up on 2021 already (I see your tweets, yes you), then it’s time to figure out how to fix this team for the future. 

No, they won’t be tanking anytime soon. Let's just get that out of the way now. There is no “rebuilding phase” in the National Football League. Not with the Steelers, at least. Not with the Rooneys. And not with a defense that is going to remain elite for a handful of years. I’ve been playing “Steelers QB roulette” on twitter, a game in which I throw out a realistic QB option and let yinz tell me how you feel about that individual leading the black and gold next season. See example below:

So let’s play another round. How about this name: Kenny Pickett. 

Today, I’m here to tell you that the next franchise signal caller could already be playing his football at Heinz Field. And if the Steelers are smart, they should probably try and keep him there. Kenny Pickett fits the mold of the prototype NFL QB. He’s tall, at 6’3 - and can make all of the throws.

Here’s an absolute dime on the move, a throw that NFL teams will salivate over:

He’s an incredible leader, as his teammates often speak glowingly about his character and non quantifiable traits. After the New Hampshire win, Pitt star WR Jordan Addison said of Pickett: "Every time I've got a deep ball he just tells me, run as fast as you can. They can't run with you. And he puts it there every time. He puts it right on the money."

And I can't leave out the fact that most importantly, Pickett is quite mobile. Probably more mobile than you’d think. Just this past weekend he became Pitt’s all time leader in rushing TD’s from the QB position.  And I say most importantly because you’ve seen the Steelers offensive line. Even if Dan Moore Jr. and Kendrick Green develop into league average starters in the future, this isn’t a line that will ever necessarily project to be the best in the NFL. I can confidently say that. Sure, the Steelers can improve upon it via Free Agency. But I think it may take a complete overhaul - and that would take some time. 

Taking that into consideration, combined with the way the NFL is trending, a QB who can make plays with his legs is a box the Steelers must check in their next “guy.” Pickett has that trait.

And there’s also the Matt Canada connection. Canada, the Steelers offensive coordinator, was the Panthers OC during Pickett's recruiting process, so they are very familiar with one another. The same way I’d imagine the Steelers organization is already familiar with Pickett. 

Currently, CBS Sports has Pickett as their number four ranked QB in the upcoming NFL Draft. So he will likely be in the Steelers range. Yes, the range of 10-20 or so, estimating they stay on this current trajectory.

I’m ready to make this connection because of what I saw this weekend, right up close and personal in front of my face. Both quarterbacks and their performances wrote this story for me. Many pundits around the team have been pulling out their hair for months trying to do AP calculus attempting to figure out what QB will be heir apparent to Ben. 

"Jimmy G sounds nice!"

“What about the DeShaun Watson saga?”

“Hey, Aaron Rodgers is leaving Green Bay!” 

I’m just saying, what if the Steelers didn’t have to look that far? Or think that hard? The next franchise QB of the Pittsburgh Steelers could be just like a booger - right under their nose. 

So, Pickett.