Kenny Pickett expected to start Steelers-Raiders matchup on Christmas Eve
Barring a late setback, quarterback Kenny Pickett will return to practice Wednesday and start for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night against the Las Vegas Raiders at Acrisure Stadium.
Pickett did not play last Sunday in the Steelers’ 24-16 win at Carolina while dealing with concussion symptoms. He was limited in practice the entire week and then was not active on game day for the first time this season.
“The concussion component of where he is, is behind us,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “I think he’s gotta check a box procedurally, but if we were to practice today, he’d be a full participant.”
Mitch Trubisky replaced Pickett and made his first start since Week 4. Trubisky completed 17 of 22 passes for 179 yards, no touchdowns and no turnovers. It was his first win as a starter since the season opener at Cincinnati, and his 100.4 passer rating was the highest by a Steelers starter this season.
“He did a really good job of taking care of the ball and working within the gameplan approach that we had prescribed for that opponent,” Tomlin said. “He should be congratulated for that.”
Pickett, the team’s rookie first-round pick, accompanied the Steelers to Carolina and watched the game from the sideline while Mason Rudolph served as the backup. Tomlin isn’t hesitating to get Pickett back on the field for the final three games of the season.
Pickett’s development, after all, will be better served by playing than any insight he gained watching Trubisky execute the gameplan against the Panthers.
“My preference is to play and grow and gain the experience associated with the in-helmet perspective of competing,” Tomlin said. “I just think that where he is in his career, I think that’s the number one ingredient to get better.”
The temperature at game time is expected to be in single digits, making it one of the coldest games in franchise history. During his time at Pitt, Pickett never played a home game in December, but he started Dec. 11 against Baltimore when it was 43 degrees at game time. He suffered his concussion in the first quarter of that game.
“I’ve had some cold games in Pittsburgh in November,” Pickett said earlier that week. “I’m expecting the conditions to be what they usually are later in the year.”
Tomlin said a player’s ability to withstand harsh weather conditions while in college is a “variable” in the pre-draft process.
And, if the weather report is accurate, it will be a variable in the way the Steelers prepare to face the Raiders. Although the Steelers have an indoor practice facility at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Tomlin’s preference is to have his players practice outdoors in the elements if possible.
“We have to be an all-weather group,” he said. “I think everyone that lives here and plays here understands and embraces that. That’s one of the reasons why we continually take the approach we take. When we get a chance to work in less-than-ideal weather conditions, it’s always our attitude to work in less-than-ideal weather conditions in an effort to gain exposure and experience.”
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Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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