Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd believes the Pittsburgh Steelers may need to let rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett fail in 2022 in order to succeed in the long run.
For this reason, he feels Mike Tomlin and the Steelers should stick with the 20th overall pick once they put him in as the team’s starting option.
“You’ve gotta let Kenny Pickett fail. Start him and let him stink,” Cowherd said. “… This may be the year you go 6-11, but it’s going to be invaluable experience.”
Cowherd compared Pickett’s situation to that of Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow. The Bengals threw Burrow into the fire in Year 1 and let him work through some rookie struggles — leading him to the elite level of play he’s reached today.
The Steelers have yet to announce a starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2022 season. It’s very possible the team goes with the more veteran Mitch Trubisky — at least to start the year.
But once Pittsburgh promotes Pickett to QB1, Cowherd believes it should stay that way for the rest of the season.