Following a disappointing second second in the NFL, there have already been some calls for the Pittsburgh Steelers to move on from Kenny Pickett.

The quarterback position is seen as one of the team’s biggest weaknesses for the 2024 season.

However, one of his teammates with the most influence on the locker room thinks it’s too early to really judge Pickett.

During an appearance on Sirius XM’s Ferrall Coast to Coast, Cameron Heyward said that there is too much scrutiny of QBs.

“The scrutiny already for a quarterback is insane,” Heyward said. “You’ll get guys have never played saying that a quarterback should be this. And then if they’re not Pat Mahomes, as soon as they step on the field, they’re inconsistent.

He also shared his belief that Pickett could be “a heck of a quarterback” in the NFL.

“I think Kenny can be a heck of a quarterback in this league,” Heyward said. “For people to write him off right now, I think is [crazy].”

Recent performances from some QBs that didn’t pan out right away could keep hope alive for Pickett’s career.

The Case for Late Bloomers
The importance of the quarterback position often leads to NFL teams lacking patience with the players they draft at the position.

Players at the position who are drafted in the top 5 are expected to immediately step into a starting role while most selected anywhere in round 1 will see the field before the end of their rookie season.

From there they get little time to prove they were the right pick.

Just two bad seasons early in their career could be enough to spend the rest of their career on the bench.

In some cases, like Josh Rosen, it might only take one.

While there should absolutely be urgency for every team in the league to get it right at quarterback, recent examples have proven that giving up on QBs too early could lead to big missed opportunities.

Geno Smith is the biggest example. After struggling for two years as the starter for bad Jets teams, Smith was benched. He waited seven years to get another chance. Now the Seahawks are paying him $25 million per year after he took them to the playoffs in 2022.

Baker Mayfield was the first overall pick for the Browns in 2018. In his thir year in the league, he helped them end an 18-year playoff drought. Two years later he gave him away to the Panthers after they made a huge trade for Deshaun Watson.

After a rough year where he was cut by the Panthers and finished the year with a struggling Rams team, Mayfield got another chance with the Buccaneers.

He has now won one more playoff game than the Browns since their split.

Even Mason Rudolph finished 2023 surprisingly well for the Steelers after nearly not ending up on a roster for the season.

Those players should give the Steelers hope that Pickett can still continue to develop, but he’ll need to show signs that he’s the guy soon.

Last Chance With the Steelers
One big difference between Pickett’s situation and most young quarterbacks is that he ended up with a good team.

Many first-round QBs get drafted early in the round and end up with bad teams.

That has its pros and its cons. For Pickett, it meant that he was surrounded by more talent at the start of his career.

It also means that the franchise he plays for has big expectations every year.

The Steelers have a long history of winning. They are fourth in NFL history in total wins and are tied with the Patriots for most Super Bowl wins ever.

Mike Tomlin has been the coach since 2007 and hasn’t had a losing season yet.

That has put a lot of pressure on Pickett to perform from the second he became the starter.

So far, the team has continued winning, but success hasn’t come for Pickett.

There have already been calls for him to be replaced as a result of his struggles.

The team hasn’t decided to move on yet, but the 2024 season will probably be his last chance to prove he can be the guy.

It sounds like he has the backing of one of his team’s captains, but he could lose any support if he doesn’t show that he was just a late bloomer some time soon.