Ben Roethlisberger admits he initially didn't want Kenny Pickett to succeed with the Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger is being open and honest regarding how it felt to watch Kenny Pickett take over the Pittsburgh Steelers after his retirement.
While there have never been any hard feelings between the veteran quarterback and his replacement, Roethlisberger admitted to not wanting Pickett to succeed following him initially. It’s only natural for someone to feel that way when their time to be replaced is upon them, but it’s rare to see an NFL quarterback be so candid about it.
“I’m gonna be super transparent about this. I’m gonna get blasted, I probably shouldn’t say this,” said Roethlisberger, via the Footbahlin Podcast. “I wouldn’t say that I wanted Kenny (Pickett) to necessarily fail. But I hoped that he didn’t come and ball out.”
While Pickett didn’t come out the gates firing, he eventually found his footing enough to the point where the Steelers believe they have their quarterback of the future. In the end, he won over Roethlisberger, as well.
“As (Pickett) started playing I found myself rooting for (him) more and more,” added Roethlisberger. “We were high-fiving and going nuts when you were leading the team and doing things.
“I feel bad and I apologized to (him) for not knowing how good (he was) going to be. I’m pleasantly surprised and I’m glad I was wrong.”
Hearing that from a Steelers legend has to mean the world to Pickett. He already had the team in his corner, but getting Roethlisberger on board is another feather in his cap.
Ben Roethlisberger will always be revered in Pittsburgh, regardless of what Kenny Pickett does. It’s nice to know he’s now rooting for his success, instead of feeling jealous towards the young Steelers quarterback.
Kenny Pickett impressed with the way the Steelers ‘came together as a team’ during his rookie season
Moreover, the Steelers certainly had some rough patches with Kenny Pickett during his rookie season. But the team still banded together to make a run at the postseason.
That was the coolest part of the season for the young quarterback, as he added some context on what the team went through during an appearance on The Pivot earlier this offseason.
“So I definitely came in, I feel like with a humble attitude. But it definitely gets checked when you get blown out like that, and it’s not a good feeling,” stated the Steelers’ young quarterback. “I feel like once we hit the bye week, we came together. Like, it could go two ways. This thing could tank and we’d be two and whatever we finish. Or we could push for the playoff and have a shot.
“We ended up having a shot that last week. It didn’t go our way, but it was cool to see the way we finished. The way we came together as a team.”
With that attitude, it’s easy to see why the Steelers pegged Kenny Pickett to be their franchise quarterback. He’s got the correct attitude, and will likely lead Pittsburgh for a long time.