The Pittsburgh Steelers remain optimistic about Kenny Pickett’s potential as a franchise quarterback. But CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli obviously does not believe that.
On February 23, Fornelli projected that the Steelers will pick Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the NFL draft.
To get McCarthy, Fornelli requested that the Steelers trade up to No. 9 in the 2024 NFL selection.
“The Steelers realize Kenny Pickett isn’t the answer and don’t waste time trying to correct the situation,” Fornelli wrote in a tweet. “Arthur Smith is expected to bring a run-heavy approach that focuses on play action and tight ends, which sounds a lot like McCarthy’s offense at Michigan!
“McCarthy possesses a strong arm, can quickly diagnose defenses, and is athletic enough to frequently extend drives with his legs. “He’d be an excellent fit here.”
During three seasons at Michigan, McCarthy had a 67.6% completion rate and an average of 8.7 yards per pass attempt. He also recorded 49 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
As a starter in college, he went 28-1. McCarthy guided the Michigan Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997.
In the 2023-24 college football playoffs, McCarthy completed 27 of 45 passes (60%) for 361 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
How J.J. McCarthy Could Fit With the Steelers
McCarthy is an intriguing quarterback prospect for several reasons.
Obviously, he had an impressive win-loss record in college. However, McCarthy benefited mostly from playing in a scheme with a strong rushing game and defense.
“McCarthy certainly wasn’t the driving force behind the national champion Wolverines,” The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen wrote. “The question is whether they chose to constantly hand the ball off at the expense of restricting their ability to make explosive plays because they didn’t trust McCarthy, or because they didn’t trust their offensive line’s pass protection.
“The Wolverines had a physical run-blocking offensive line but they struggled to pass protect at times, especially against top competition.”
McCarthy, on the other hand, appears to be garnering recognition for his unique skills in recent weeks.
On February 20, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah released his second mock draft, projecting McCarthy to be the eighth pick. On February 23, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune predicted that McCarthy would rank sixth.
In a January mock draft by NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry, McCarthy was listed as the Steelers’ No. 20 pick.
McCarthy’s stock seems to be growing. There are still two months until the draft, but if the Steelers are interested, McCarthy is unlikely to be available at No. 20.
Steelers Giving Up on QB Kenny Pickett?
However, the Steelers’ interest in McCarthy is not always clear. The question is whether they are ready to move on from Pickett.
NFL experts have linked the Steelers to several quarterbacks available in free agency and the draft. This summer, there have been several rumors about the team getting Justin Fields through a trade.
The Steelers have officially supported Pickett as a potential starter in 2024.
In a post-season press conference on January 18, Tomlin said that Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback for 2024 is already on the roster.
Following Mitch Trubisky’s departure on February 12, the Steelers now just have Pickett as their signal caller.
On February 17, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Steelers are not interested in signing a new starting quarterback.
That’s not to say the Steelers won’t choose a quarterback.Tomlin stated in his post-season press conference that the team intends to bring in competition for Pickett.
Late-round quarterback alternatives include Spencer Rattler and Sam Hartman, among others.
However, it is unlikely that the Steelers will target a signal caller in the first round, let alone trade up for one, unless they change their minds on Pickett.
The Steelers are likely to compete for Pickett by re-signing Mason Rudolph or bringing in another veteran in free agency.
