“He Can Rebound”: Steelers Superfan Joe Manganiello Pleads for Kenny Pickett’s Return Amidst Mike Tomlin’s QB Concerns

A lot is going on in the Pittsburgh Steelers right now. This is Mike Tomlin’s last season with the team. Also, the Steelers happened to have hired a new OC, Arthur Smith, after sacking Matt Canada. The team has also revamped its coaching tree. However, the quarterback problem still hangs over the heads of this Steelers organization. Will it be Kenny Pickett taking over this season or would Mason Rudolph hold the command?

For one, a Steelers superfan by the name of Joe Manganiello thinks that Pickett would be a good choice for the Steelers going forward. However, after Pickett suffered an ankle injury in the week 13 game against the Arizona Cardinals, we can’t be too sure of his return.

Rich Eisen and his guest think Kenny Pickett still has it in him

Eisen was curious about who the Steelers fan deemed fit to be the next QB for the team. He pointed out Rudolph’s success with the Steelers despite a late QB1 debut. Responding to his assessment, Eisen brought up the time when the Steelers went all out on Bubby Brisker. In the hopes of history repeating itself, Steelers superfan Joe Manganiello wanted Pickett to take the reign once again.

“I hope that it’s Kenny and I hope that he can rebound this year. I hope that uh, with a new offensive coordinator, things are going to click,” said Joe Manganiello. He further pointed out, “I think that was the issue with bringing back the offensive coordinator last year is that we didn’t get a really great look at Kenny with a great OC.” 

Eisen then commended the Steelers on picking Arthur Smith for Matt Canada. The reason behind this is that after a long time, the Steelers picked someone new to the organization and not an internal hire and termed it as someone whom the doctor “exactly ordered”. While coaching is one side of the coin, the problems with the quarterback position remain at large and Mike Tomlin is hell-bent on finding a solution.

Will Mike Tomlin make major changes in the QB roster?

Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky are at the forefront of this Steelers offense. The Pittsburgh team spiraled into an offensive conundrum after Pickett suffered the injury in week 13. Mitch Trubisky was at the forefront after Pickett’s injury, which didn’t turn out well because he just played 5 games and had 632 yards to show. The Steelers have already cut ties with Mitch Trubisky recently as confirmed by Associated Press and NFL Network.

After Trubisky’s dismal performance, Mason Rudolph was given a chance. He played in 4 games and had 719 yards, 3 TDs, and a 74.3% completion rate. So clearly, Trubisky was benched for Rudolph, who carried the Pittsburgh team to the wild-card round against the Buffalo Bills.

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In an interaction with the media after losing to the Indianapolis Colts 30-13 in week 15, Tomlin said, “Everything is on the table at this juncture. We cannot continue to play football like this,” and added, “We’ve got to make changes and we need to do it immediately. We’re not going to roll the ball out next week like we did today.” This Mike Tomlin stance was last reported by AP in December 2023.

Despite a predictable and shabby offensive scheme, Kenny Pickett carried the Steelers to the cusp of playoffs. If it weren’t for his injury, the team might have gone a bit further. Hopefully, he will be back as the QB1 in the upcoming season.

What do you think about the Steelers QB conundrum? Who should be the QB1 next season? Let us know below.

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