Art Rooney of the Steelers Aims for Quarterback Development
Pittsburgh Steelers President Art Rooney II swiftly addressed what he perceives as the primary challenge for his team since the retirement of the legendary, two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger.
The Steelers currently lack a clear, long-term solution at the quarterback position, introducing an element of instability unfamiliar to an organization that enjoyed 18 seasons with a future Hall of Famer at the helm. Rooney is determined to tackle this issue promptly in the offseason, and the initial focus is on quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Rooney stated, “Regarding the next steps, we need to ensure that we obtain quality performance from our quarterback position in the future. While we still have confidence in Kenny Pickett and his potential, he understands the importance of working diligently and taking the necessary steps to improve. We’ve had discussions about this, and one aspect we admired in Kenny, based on his time at Pitt, was his continuous hard work and incremental progress each year. We expect to see that same trajectory here.”
Kenny Pickett, the Steelers’ first-round pick from Pitt in 2022, faced challenges in the 2023 season, hindered by injuries. He threw for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions, playing one fewer game than the previous year. Despite Pickett’s efforts, the Steelers’ offense struggled to generate points, reflecting a plateau in his performance.
