Professional football is an immensely competitive sport in a man’s league. It’s highly physical — getting clobbered play-to-play — but it’s equally taxing from a mental aspect.
Few positions know this better than the quarterback. Essentially, 11 players want to take you to the turf, and when you are, it’s an R-rated movie in the pile.
When Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was asked about the trash talk he gets off the field — via social media — he credited the position for helping him look past it.
“I’ve been called every name under the sun in this game,” Picket said on the Steel Here podcast. “I’ll still go out there feeling I’m the best on Sundays. I’ve been playing for a while now, and you know, having a good career in college and now getting my NFL career started. It comes with the position, comes with the territory. If you’re mentally weak, this game will eat you alive. I feel like I’m in a good place mentally, and I’m excited to get going.”
FINALLY. The Kenny Pickett Episode of Steel Here. Its been one hell of a year in the making. I'm not sure most people understand how much work a podcast is. But its been an insane ride, and I never could've dreamt it would lead to this. I'm grateful for every single Steelers fan. pic.twitter.com/wkFTM6oDZE
— Kevin Adams (@KevinAdams26) August 31, 2023
Pickett definitely gets plenty of hate. Even so-called Steelers fans want to see him fail or don’t believe he can take Pittsburgh to the Promised Land.
It’s still too early to tell whether he’s their franchise guy, but he certainly has the look of one. He oozes poise and confidence, with talent to boot. His rookie season started on a rocky note, but turned things around post-bye, helping his crew to a 7-2 record to finish the season, narrowly missing the playoffs. “Easy” schedule or not, the Steelers still had to win, and they did, even with an 18-point per-game average.
Now, with 13 games of experience under his belt, a full offseason as QB1, and what looks to be an improved offense and line, there’s no reason why the Steelers can’t be a contender within the division and win some playoff games. Steelers Wire predicts a 13-4 record in 2023.
If Pickett pulls it off, haters can’t hate.