Kenny Pickett leads Steelers win over Seahawks in preseason debut

Every Pass & Run from Kenny Pickett’s NFL Debut!

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 32-25 in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL preseason, powered by rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, who led the squad on the game-winning touchdown drive. It was his preseason debut and he completed 13/15 for 95 yards as well as two touchdowns.

Pickett was said to have struggled in training camp and entered the game as the third quarterback on the depth chart. Yet, he showed signs of what landed him the draft slot when his name was summoned in the third quarter. He led the Steelers down the field against the Seahawks on Saturday night, hitting 5/5 with a three-yard touchdown pass.

The drive began from the Pittsburgh 25-yard line. Pickett’s first preseason pass went short and to the right for 11 yards to Jace Sternberger. He then completed three more throws as the Steelers moved downfield.

Pittsburgh ended up with the ball first and goal on the three-yard line and Pickett hit Jalen Warren in the endzone for the touchdown. Furthermore, Pickett also paired with Connor Heyward for the two-point conversion, which eventually gave the Steelers a 25-17 lead.

While he didn’t throw any long passes, and his throw on the game-winning touchdown may have been his longest of the night, the fans roared for him.

There were “Kenny! Kenny! Kenny!” chants from the crowd as he went 5-for-5 for 33 yards and a three-yard touchdown to Warren.

Pickett was ridiculed throughout the offseason for having smaller hands, and he found himself in an unexpectedly packed quarterback room alongside Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.

“It was very special,” Pickett said, as quoted by The Athletic.

“The whole night was special. I’ve been here for so long, but I’ve never been able to go to a Steelers game, and the first one I have as an NFL player, to finish that way in that stadium with a lot of family and friends there was awesome,” he added.