Ryan Clark slams Steelers decision to roll with QB Kenny Pickett

Ryan Clark was no-holds-barred on Kenny Pickett.

Quarterback will remain the hottest topic of debate in the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ realm until their dilemma is laid to rest. And there’s no telling when that will be.

The ever-vocal former Steeler Ryan Clark, an analyst for ESPN, had this to say on Wednesday morning’s “Get Up” about what ultimately sounds like the Steelers rolling with Kenny Pickett heading into 2024.

What they’re going to do is they’re going to try to go out and get a veteran that can push Kenny Pickett. A veteran they can have an unbiased competition with. And if Kenny Pickett wins that, they can walk into the season and say ‘OK. We went out and we tried to improve at the position,’ whether it’s a Ryan Tannehill or Russell Wilson. And Kenny Pickett was a better choice than they were to lead the team this year. So now we have the confidence in the guy we drafted in the first round.

If they do all that, it is going to be on-brand for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s going to be dead wrong in this situation. You’re going to strap your team to a quarterback that can’t lead you to the promised land. The reason the Terrible Towel means something, the reason that six Lombardis mean something is because that organization was built on excellence. Kenny Pickett is not going to be your leader to the promised land of excellence. And if he’s not, I do believe it is time to do something different at that position.

The truth of the matter is, no one knows what Pickett can do under the guidance of a capable offensive coordinator. While he’s shown promise, he did previously struggle in key areas. However, until we see the big picture, it’s not entirely fair to be so harsh on the third-year quarterback. Many first-round signal-callers have taken years to develop, and some never do.

Pickett could surprise everyone in 2024. But in case he doesn’t, the Steelers really should have Plan B waiting in the wings via this year’s free agency and/or the draft. Kevin Colbert thought he did, but it was too little, too late. It would be a shame for them to make that same mistake twice.

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