The Pittsburgh Steelers were without quarterback Kenny Pickett for last week, and he is expected to miss more time. What happened to the QB and when is he expected to return, if at all?
Kenny Pickett Injury Update
Pickett is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a high right ankle sprain on Dec. 4.
Pickett underwent a surgical procedure on his high-ankle sprain Monday morning “in an effort to accelerate the healing process,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters. He’s expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering the injury during the Steelers’ 24-10 loss to the Cardinals.
Tomlin said there’s no concern the surgery will end Pickett’s season.
Pickett left the Week 13 matchup against the Cardinals after getting hit on a running play late in the first half. Pickett walked off the field under his power after getting evaluated by the team’s medical staff. He did not return to the game after injuring his ankle.
Before his injury, Pickett had completed 62% of his passes this season for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions.
The Steelers have not revealed anything about the extent of Pickett’s injury other than that it is a high ankle sprain. However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Pickett underwent a “tightrope-type” procedure.
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A “tightrope” surgery hastens the recovery process for an ankle injury. Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp had the procedure in 2022 after suffering an ankle ailment and missed the last eight games of the season, which is on the longer side for an ankle sprain.
“They’ll always come out of the O.R. with some information in that regard, but I’m just not privy to it as I sit here today,” Tomlin said when asked about Pickett’s recovery timeline last week. “That’s why I framed it the way that I framed it. Rest assured, he won’t be available this week.”
The team did not place him on injured reserve, which leaves the door open for Pickett to return inside a four-week window.
Pickett sat out the team’s 21-18 loss to the Patriots in Week 14 and has officially been ruled out for Saturday’s Week 15 matchup against the Colts.
In his place, the Steelers will once again start backup Mitch Trubisky. The former first-round pick started last week as Pittsburgh fell to the Patriots at home. In the loss, Trubisky completed 22 of 35 for 190 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
“I thought Mitch picked up his game as the game wore on,” Tomlin said. “There’s a reasonable expectation for him to be even better because of that experience and because of having a full week’s prep this week.”
In total, Trubisky has completed 60.7% of his passes in four appearances for 463 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The game marked the seventh time in 26 games Trubisky has played because of an injury to Pickett. Tomlin dismissed the idea that Pickett’s repeated injuries are a concern.
“He was managing that ankle prior to yesterday,” Tomlin said. “I think it was listed on the injury report every day last week, and so it got aggravated, and we just did what was necessary in terms of addressing it.
“I don’t know that we’re viewing it as something that’s chronic, particularly with something like an ankle injury, and so we’re just dealing with this on a case-by-case basis as we sit here right now.”
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