Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan knew that when he took over the position from Kevin Colbert, he would have to make it his own. Khan didn’t take long to make his mark, having a productive and aggressive 2023 offseason. With 2024 in his sights, Khan is looking to secure the quarterback spot for the foreseeable future. One of the bigger questions looming on the horizon is what role Kenny Pickett will play in 2024 and beyond.
On Thursday at the 2024 NFL Combine, Khan spoke with the media. Most of his remarks were what everyone has come to expect from the front office of an NFL franchise; not much was revealed. Khan discussed the team’s desire to have Mason Rudolph back, the need for depth across the board, and did his best to speak without actually saying anything.
However, there was a moment when the mask slipped a bit, and Khan may have shown some of his hand. The subject of the Steelers’ quarterback conundrum came up several times, and at one point rather than say nothing, Khan might have said quite a bit. The moment was written about by Tim Benz of TribLive where Benz mused on whether Khan ended up being more honest than he intended.
“Pretty much all the talking points were hit. Maybe better said, all the talking points were talked around. However, there’s one thing Khan said about the quarterback situation that stuck out to me, ‘Obviously, there were some issues with the offense, and I’m excited about the impact Arthur [Smith] is going to have on [Pickett],’ Khan said at one point. Of anyone in a position of power within the franchise, that may be the first time we’ve heard the, ‘Let’s see if Kenny is better without Matt Canada’ angle.”
The Matt Canada debacle was easily one of the more frustrating storylines of the 2023 Steelers, but as Benz wrote, it’s one thing for it to be known, and another for the general manager to comment on it. The first-round investment the Steelers made in Pickett is one of the chief reasons why he is still on the roster. The entire organization is hoping for more offensive production from Pickett, compared to his paltry 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 25 NFL games.
As of Khan’s comments at the 2024 NFL Combine, Pickett was the only quarterback signed to Pittsburgh’s roster. While the Steelers are dedicated to bringing in legitimate competition at the position, they are hoping that Arthur Smith can get more out of Pickett. If Canada was the main reason for Pickett’s inability to produce on the field, then Smith should be able to bring out the aspects of Pickett’s game that led to the Steelers to drafting him in 2022.
Steelers Want A Real Quarterback Competition
The reality in Pittsburgh is that, based on track record, Pickett hasn’t lived up to expectations. If the former first-round pick had performed as the Steelers hoped he would, then none of the quarterback rumors would exist. Whether it ends up being Pickett or another quarterback, the Steelers know they have to be much better on offense going forward.
The Steelers have been connected to Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, and more names pop up on a daily basis it seems. Pittsburgh could choose to select from the free agent pool, try a potential trade, or they could even wait until the 2024 NFL Draft to replenish their quarterback room. With many believing that Pickett can already be classified as a bust, the prospect of starting over with a rookie quarterback might not seem like the worst thing in the world.
Whoever else is in the quarterback room with Pickett in 2024, the best player for the job is who will be starting when the regular season begins. Pickett didn’t endure that kind of competition the first time around with Mitch Trubisky and Rudolph last season, so Pittsburgh can’t make the same mistake twice.
At the end of the day, the Steelers are looking at 2024 as their chance to get back on track, and that all starts by getting the quarterback choice correct. The bar has been raised in Pittsburgh, and the leader of the team will be expected to uphold that.
Who will join Kenny Pickett in the quarterback room for 2024?
