Former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Charlie Batch Revealing He Sees Parts Of Great Ben Roethlisberger In Kenny Pickett

Two years after the retirement of Pittsburgh Steelers great, Ben Roethlisberger, the Steel City was in dire need of another quarterback who possessed his same ability. With 18 consecutive seasons for the Steelers and two Super Bowl titles, Roethlisberger raised the bar for signal-callers in Pittsburgh. The Steelers found his replacement in Kenny Pickett, a now 25-year-old from the University of Pittsburgh. With Pickett, the Steelers seem to have found an experienced player who has the sort of movement and accuracy needed in order to succeed in the NFL.

Prior to their first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Roethlisberger recently spoke on the 2023 Steelers. The future Hall of Fame quarterback discussed on his podcast Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger what he believes will be the primary factor in whether the Steelers are successful this year.

"I get asked all the time, what do I think about the Steelers this year? And I always answer with the defense is going to be awesome. I just, I feel that. They've got a lot of great players. ... The key is going to be Kenny Pickett."

Roethlisberger had 2,621 passing yards and 17 touchdowns as a starter for the Steelers his first year, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Undeterred by his initial success, Roethlisberger continued to excel in his second season, amassing an even greater achievement by throwing for 2,385 yards and another 17 touchdowns. Not only did he display his exceptional skills as a quarterback, but he also served as an inspirational leader, motivating his team to embark on a remarkable postseason. In his second season, he also upped the ante by helping bring the Steelers to a triumph victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

Compared to Roethlisberger and during his first season, Pickett threw for 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions. In 2022, his solid performance in the final stretch of the season helped Pittsburgh win seven of its final nine games and conclude the season with a 9-8 record. Head Coach Mike Tomlin, who served as a huge advantage to their 2008 Super Bowl title, is a valuable asset to the Steelers. Tomlin has led the team for 16 seasons without having a losing record under his belt, and his knowledge of coaching Roethlisberger could be helpful to Pickett as he continues to develop his game.

Charlie Batch, a former backup quarterback for the Steelers, claimed that Pickett already had elements of Roethlisberger in him. In his second season in the NFL, Pickett is anticipated to advance after making 12 starts for Pittsburgh in his initial year. However, the progress he's made and demonstrated this offseason/preseason immediately makes Batch think of Roethlisberger at a comparable point in his career.

“And earlier this offseason, I was asked, ‘Hey, how do you compare Kenny to Ben Roethlisberger between Year One and Year Two?’ Everything that I just mentioned reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger.”

Pickett will undoubtedly benefit from the advancements he made this summer during training camp. In early-season games, when rival teams are attempting to adjust to what he and the Steelers offense do well, it will likely give him the advantage. As Roethlisberger also hinted, Pickett has gotten better at pre-snap awareness over the course of camp and has done a better job of taking command of the Steelers' offense. In addition, Pickett's decision-making and throwing speed have increased as a direct outcome of his offseason conditioning.

On Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons, Pickett completed all four of his throw attempts for a total of 86 yards. Pickett finished the preseason with a 158.3 quarterback rating after completing 13 of 15 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. The Steelers' opening drive against the Falcons featured one of Pickett's greatest passes, a 35-yard completion to receiver George Pickens that advanced the team to the one-yard line.

No quarterback had more projected points added per play in the fourth quarter from Weeks 14 to 18 of the previous campaign than Pickett. In the Steelers' first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pickett completed six out of seven throws for 70 yards and a touchdown. Pickett put forth another outstanding effort in their second game against the Buffalo Bills, completing three out of four passes for 43 yards and one touchdown.

Since Roethlisberger left the Steelers, the team has made a big effort at finding a franchise quarterback in Pickett. With the offensive line improvements and the abundance of tools at his disposal, Pickett might have a very successful season. A youthful offensive core that includes Najee Harris, George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and more should provide plenty of support for Pickett this season.