President of the Pittsburgh Steelers Art Rooney II anticipates improved quarterback play in the upcoming season as
the team looks to end a seven-year postseason drought without a championship.
Additionally, Rooney believes that part of the solution is Kenny Pickett, who is about to start his third NFL season.
In a 20-minute interview on Monday, Rooney II stated, “We need to do everything we can to make sure we get
quality play out of our quarterback position moving forward.” “We remain optimistic about Kenny Pickett’s future.
We’ve discussed that, and he is aware that he must put in a lot of effort to move forward.
Early in December, Pickett had an ankle ailment that kept him from playing. The Steelers stuck with Mason
Rudolph, their third quarterback, even though he was healthy enough to play at the conclusion of the season.
Rudolph led the team to a three-game winning streak that helped them qualify for the playoffs.
Pickett will start as the starting quarterback in 2024, according to coach Mike Tomlin’s statement earlier this month,
despite competition for the position. If Rudolph doesn’t sign a free agent contract and leaves the Steelers, that may
come from him.
“When we do get quality play at the quarterback position, Mason showed what we were capable of,” Rooney stated.
“Thank you for everything Mason did, and we would like to have Mason back.”
The Steelers are currently interviewing potential candidates to fill the role of offensive coordinator. Three candidates
have already been interviewed by Tomlin, Rooney, and general manager Omar Khan: Jerrod Johnson of the Houston
quarterbacks, Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons, and Thomas Brown of Carolina, the former offensive coordinator.
Rooney stated that Tomlin will make the final hiring choice.”It would be an error on my part to attempt to disrupt
the established hierarchies,” he declared. However, Rooney believes the squad should find a player who can bring
more out of Pickett.
“It is evident that he needs to advance, and it is crucial for the incoming coordinator to ensure that he assists Kenny
in taking the next step,” he remarked. “Despite the fact that we still feel comfortable with Kenny, you can’t ignore
what Mason did.” It is impossible to deny that competition will benefit everyone.
Rooney also touched on the following topics during the interview: • The Steelers are currently evaluating the stadium
to ascertain Acrisure Stadium’s long-term viability. The lease for the team ends in 2030.
“We’re examining the requirements to be in the stadium for the upcoming 10–20 years, regardless of the
circumstances,” he stated. “We’ve engaged experts to examine it. The stadium is nice to us. It seems to be a fantastic
facility. We can live there for a very long period if the proper renovations are made.
• The Steelers are “deep in the process” of putting in a bid to hold Pittsburgh host to the NFL Draft in 2026 or 2027.
He stated, “We are hopeful that we will be able to bring it here in the not too distant future.” Detroit will host the
2024 draft. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, there will be a draft in 2025.
• Cameron Heyward, a defensive tackle with one year remaining on his deal that carries a $16 million salary and a
$22.4 million cap charge, has expressed that it is not “fair” to talk about his future. He declared, “We want Cam on
our team for this year and maybe next.” “In the locker room, he’s as reliable a person as you could want.”
