PublishedPITTSBURGH — Kenny Pickett and Brock Purdy crossed paths during the run-up to the 2022 NFL draft.The Pittsburgh Steelers made Pickett — a Heisman Trophy finalist during his final season at the University of Pittsburgh — a first-round pick, fully aware of the outsized expectations that would follow him as he moved from one side of the facility the two teams share to the other.
A busted right elbow ended Purdy's magical run in Philadelphia. It did nothing, however, to slow his momentum. Purdy will run onto the Acrisure Stadium turf as a team captain, heady territory for a player who was inactive for San Francisco's opener a year ago. The goal? To prove that his initial success wasn't a fluke but rather a sign of things to come. Consider Steelers coach Mike Tomlin among the believers in Purdy's magic, even as Pittsburgh's star-laden defense tries to stop him.
The challenge figures to be significantly tougher against a defense that features All-Pro linebacker Fred Werner and star defensive end Nick Bosa, now the highest-paid defender in the league. “He’s such a huge contributor to what we do as a defense and how we play,” All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams said. “It’s not like anybody else is going down. The Defensive Player of the Year. You miss players like that. I know it’s a ”next-man-up league” but a lot of that goes out the window when you’re talking about a player like Nick.”The Steelers were methodical — maybe too methodical — on offense a year ago when they had just one offensive touchdown that was longer than 25 yards.