Regardless of who is to blame, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is off to a slow start. Could the Steelers be looking for a successor for him already?
The Steelers were the only NFL team with a scout present for Saturday’s game between No. 10 Oregon and No. 19 Colorado, according to Matt Prehm of 247Sports.
The Steelers could have been there to scout various positions, but it’s difficult to believe they passed on the quarterback duel between Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Oregon’s Bo Nix. For the record, Nix was 28-of-33 for 276 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-6 thrashing of Colorado. Meanwhile, Sanders struggled, finishing 22-of-33 for 159 yards and a touchdown while gaining -34 yards on 10 carries.
Pickett and the Matt Canada-led offense have yet to get going, much to the anger of Steelers fans, sparking calls for a change. While many people believe that Canada should be kicked out, others have given up on Pickett after only 14 career starts.
Canada appears to have had nine lives as Steelers offensive coordinator, managing a squad that finished 22nd or lower during his three-year stint. If it comes down to keeping one or the other, the Steelers will most likely choose with Pickett. Head coach Mike Tomlin may have elected to keep Canada around for consistency’s sake, but the Steelers offense is currently ranked 31st in total yards through two games.
Furthermore, Pickett has at least two seasons left on his rookie contract, so losing him would mean starting over.
If the Steelers are considering a change at the helm, time may be of the essence, as they risk losing Pickett and potentially others in the locker room. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, a former Pro Bowl wideout, recently intimated that a dissatisfied Pickett would be looking outside the Steelers facility for a trustworthy ear to bend.
“One hundred percent, they’re talking about [Canada] in the locker room,” Houshmandzadeh said on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” “One hundred percent, Kenny Pickett is calling whatever coach he trusted in college.”
