Steelers' Tomlin: Pickett will resume QB1 status

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that quarterback Kenny Pickett will be the team's top quarterback heading into training camp.

"He will," Tomlin told reporters when asked if Pickett will be quarterback No. 1 next season. "But obviously, there will be competition. There's always competition in this thing."

He added: "I'm extremely confident in him. I feel stronger about some of the intangible things than I did obviously when we first started doing business with him because I have evidence of it. He's highly competitive and professional. He doesn't run from challenges, he runs to challenges ... It is a huge year for him."

Pickett started 12 contests for the Steelers this season, going 7-5 while throwing for 2,070 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions. He suffered an ankle injury in Week 13 that required surgery and lost the starting job when he recovered from the ailment after Mason Rudolph led the club to back-to-back victories before the team's season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. He suited up as the backup quarterback for the Steelers' final two games of the year, including their defeat in the postseason.

The 25-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and is under contract for the next two years with a cap hit of $3.8 million in 2024.

Pittsburgh fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada following the team's Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner was promoted to the interim role, but Tomlin said it's unlikely Faulkner or quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan will be hired as the offensive coordinator for next year.

"I'm looking at outside candidates and lining up the pecking order there," Tomlin said. "I am appreciative of their efforts in terms of what they did for us down the stretch, but I'm looking at outside candidates at this juncture.

Tomlin has been the head coach of the Steelers for 17 years after being hired in 2007. He boasts a 173-100 record with one Super Bowl victory. The 51-year-old is open to signing an extension heading into the final year of his contract.

"Security is cool," Tomlin said of a possible new deal. "But it's not a top priority for me, I've seen a lot. I'm not job scared. But it does provide less questions and things of that nature certainly."