Kenny Pickett apparently thought the media didn't want to hear about the backup quarterback.
Pickett did not attend the Steelers' final media appearance Monday after the season-ending wild-card loss to the Bills (he did not play). According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
His absence raises further questions about his future with the organization that drafted him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin sought to allay those concerns Thursday, saying Pickett will be the team's top quarterback in 2024. According to The AthleticHowever, plans are obviously subject to change.
Pickett, once considered Ben Roethlisberger's heir apparent with the Steelers, was spotted by Wally Pipp this season with Mason Rudolph getting off to a losing start in the playoffs.
Rudolph took over the starting role in Week 15 and led the Steelers to three straight wins and a berth in the playoffs, but the season ended with a 31-17 loss to the Bills.
Pickett was healthy enough to return in Week 17 against the Seahawks after recovering from an ankle injury, but coach Mike Tomlin said he and Rudolph stuck it out to the end.
The Steelers currently enter the offseason not knowing if they have a franchise quarterback.
Pickett was underwhelming in his two seasons with the team, throwing for less than 2,500 yards in each season and missing nine games in his first two years.
He has thrown just 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 25 career starts, but his touchdown numbers are outstanding in an era where quarterbacks light up the scoreboard.
Pickett threw for 2,070 yards and added one rushing score with six touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games this season.
Rudolph, a third-round pick in 2018, entered the season as the team's third-string quarterback and played well down the stretch.
In Monday's loss, he threw for 229 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Pickett could request a trade this offseason, and the Steelers could bring in Rudolph, an impending free agent, or another veteran during camp to challenge Pickett.
Regardless of the route, Steelers fans won't know how Pickett feels until the team next has access to organized media, such as OTAs.
