Most of the questions asked of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin at his Tuesday press conference that weren’t related to the firing of Matt Canada centered on quarterback Kenny Pickett. He was asked about Pickett’s struggles and if he expects more from him now with Canda gone but he was also flatly asked if Pickett would start this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tomlin was brief and succinct with his “yes” almost annoyed with the very notion that it would even come into question. Meanwhile Pickett is statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.
But we understand why Pickett is starting this week. The change from Canada to Mike Sullivan as the playcaller gives Pickett something of a fresh start but not a clean slate. If Pickett continues to struggle after firing Canada, you can bet fans and the media will quickly turn on him the way they did with him and Canada. Firing Canada probably buys Pickett two to three games to show growth.
