Kenny Pickett didn’t develop into the franchise quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers hoped for. However, Pickett had some decent moments with the Steelers, particularly during his rookie year. He recently shared that his favorite moment of his NFL career so far came from a game that year.
“I’d probably say the game winner against Vegas,” Pickett said Thursday via the Carolina Panthers’ Twitter. “I think it was Christmas Eve. I think it was the second-coldest game in Heinz Field history. I’ve never been that cold in my life. We went down there, I threw a touchdown to George Pickens on a skinny post over the middle. Won the game and had an awesome Christmas the next day.”
This game was against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 of the 2022 season. The Steelers officially retired Franco Harris’ number on that emotional Christmas Eve. Harris unfortunately passed away a few days prior, further incentivizing a Steelers win.
Things didn’t start well for the Steelers, though. It was one of the coldest games in the team’s history, and the Raiders were leading 10-3 at halftime. Pickett and the Steelers’ offense struggled before coming alive in the fourth quarter.
Pickett helped the Steelers score 10 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning touchdown pass with 46 seconds remaining. That wasn’t the only play he made on that drive, too. Pickett threw for 75 yards on that series. That gave many Steelers fans hope that he could be Ben Roethlisberger’s successor.
The rest of Pickett’s career hasn’t matched that level of success, though. He struggled in 2023, and the Steelers traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles after that season. He’s been a backup since then, bouncing around between a few different teams.
He recently signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, hoping to become an NFL starting quarterback again. If he can recapture the magic he had on that drive against the Raiders, maybe he can rebound. However, that’s easier said than done. Not everyone can have a comeback story like Sam Darnold.