Why QB Kenny Pickett is the Steelers’ secret to Super Bowl contention

If the Pittsburgh Steelers desire to make it to a Super Bowl in the near future, it all comes down to second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Colin Cowherd described why on a current episode of “The Herd,” pointing out that the Steelers’ history reveals that they go to and win Super Bowls with a excellent QB in his physical prime, which Cowherd doesn’t think Pickett to be in presently.

“It’s all on Kenny Pickett. … You can do whatever right in the National Football League — everything. Pittsburgh is a fantastic example. Great ownership, terrific culture [and a] truly excellent coach. [The Steelers] draft well, they have connection. … It [has been] a remarkably run company for 50 years. They’ve done whatever best, however they’ve just won Super Bowls consideringthat the 1970s when they have a fantastic, famous quarterback in his physical prime. Ben Roethlisberger [in] 2005 [and]2008 [Terry] Bradshaw in the 70s. That’s it. They got to another Super Bowl [and] got blown out [because they] didn’t have a fantastic quarterback. … That’s the just time they win Super Bowls [and] hoist prizes.”

[Related: NFL young QB check-in: From Bryce Young to Sam Howell, who’s ready to shine?]

“It doesn’t matter how excellent T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward [and] Minkah Fitzpatrick [are] — they’re all terrific,” Cowherd included. “It all comes down to Kenny Pickett, [and] I wear’t see success. … I believe Kenny Pickett has a possibility to be a extremely excellent quarterback. … Maybe a little more mobile Kirk Cousins [and] a much more precise throwing Dak Prescott. Somewhere in that mix. … He had minutes last year — a lot of begins.”

The just quarterback chosen in the veryfirst round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Pickett was part of a Steelers offense that balanced simply 18.1 points per videogame last season in offensive organizer Matt Canada’s system.

Pickett’s novice season consisted of 2,404 passing lawns, 7 goals and 9 interceptions in 13 videogames. His stable play down the stretch in 2022 assisted Pittsburgh win 7 of its last 9 videogames to surface 9-8 for the season.

The excellent news is that the 25-year-old needto have plenty of assistance this season from a young core on offense, which inspected in at No. 15 in our mostcurrent NFL young skill rankings, and consistsof RB Najee Harris, WR George Pickens, TE Pat Freiermuth, OLB Alex Highsmith and OG James Daniels.

The Steelers have played in 8 Super Bowls all-time, winning 6 of them, consistingof 4 in 6 years. They neverever balanced less than 21.7 points per videogame in the routine season in any of those 6 wins.