Mike Tomlin seems tired of all the Kenny Pickett questions after Steelers win
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett’s performance yet again after a Week 12 win over the Colts.
Kenny Pickett played well, and has turned the ball over just once over his past four games — an encouraging sign for any rookie. While Pittsburgh’s offense remains pedestrian at times thanks to the system itself, Pickett is showing some signs of growth, even if the fanbase doesn’t necessarily acknowledge it.
The Steelers are now 4-7 on the season. After every game Mike Tomlin has coached with Pickett at the helm, the rookie quarterback inevitably comes up in the postgame press conference. Tomlin’s answers to those questions are largely the same — Pickett is a work in progress, and he is progressing.
For Tomlin, the standard is the standard. He’s happy to answer these questions, but on Monday night he showed some signs of frustration with said repetition.
Steelers: Everything Mike Tomlin said about Kenny Pickett
At around the 2:10 mark, Tomlin answered a question about Pickett with the following:
“You guys ask me that every week,” Tomlin expressed. “He’s getting better every week, and it’s in a very natural way because of experience…There’s still a lot of meat on the bone and it’s just a process. But like I always say, he’s good enough and we’re good enough to win while that happens.”
Victory Monday (or in this case Tuesday) just tastes a little different for Pittsburgh this year, as it’s a rebuilding season, especially with Pickett at the helm. Early frustration with the rookie from the fanbase finally subsided on Monday night, as Pickett showed flashes of why he was a first-round pick in the first place.
Pickett was deemed the most pro-ready prospect in his quarterback class. The Steelers were hopeful he wouldn’t need as much tutelage as other rookies at his position. Yet, that doesn’t mean the transition would be seamless.
Give Pickett some time, Pittsburgh. There’s a reason Tomlin is preaching patience.
