Heyward jokes about Pickett Jawing with Bills defense: ‘Kenny, get the hell out of the way’ – Steelers Depot

Here’s Cam Heyward’s checklist of players who should be getting scrums.

1. The big boys. The linemen.
2. Nobody else.

While many fans loved seeing Kenny Pickett crawl into Bills DE Shaq Lawson’s face after a low hit on Sunday, Heyward says he should leave that to the guys up front.

“Kenny, get the fuck out of your way,” Heyward said with a smile on his latest episode of Not just football. “I think Coach T always says it best. The quarterbacks, the running backs, they carry our hopes and dreams. Man, Kenny, we don’t need you to fight defensive linemen. That’s what the big boys are for.”

The game took place late in the Steelers blowout loss, shortly after Pickett received a hard blow on a slide that led to a scrum down the Bills sidelines. Flushed to the right, Pickett was hit in the knee by Lawson as he fired the ball away. Fortunately, Pickett was unharmed, but he could have been seriously hurt and objected to Lawson’s tackle attempt. Pickett got up and pushed Lawson, sparking another skirmish between the two sides.

Pickett would say after the game that the hit and the moment was over.

“Tender flares. I don’t care, I keep playing until the last game of the game, and that was it. So all right with me.”

Pickett finished the day 34/52, the first Steelers quarterback with over 40 pitches in a first start, much less 50, with zero touchdowns and one interception in the loss. Pickett is still looking for his first passing touchdown of the season. In fact, Pittsburgh has only two passing scores all season, the fewest in the league, even behind the Chicago Bears, who have three. No Steelers wide receiver has made it to the end zone this year, the first time that has happened since 1990. If it goes one more game, it will be the first such season since the mid-’60s.

Heyward didn’t disagree with the nature of the hit, but said there’s a better way for a quarterback to handle it.

“It was definitely a low hit. That is not possible in this game. Yes, you can be pissed about it, you better talk to the umpire about it, have him call. But no, we can’t have Kenny in those scrums. That’s not what we need now.”

That’s all fair and true, but it’s hard not to love Pickett’s fight. For a team whose doors are being blown off, their worst loss in more than 30 years, it’s good to see a starting quarterback not backing down. To show some fire, much struggle, to the bitter end of a loss. It is a rally signal for the team to follow. Even though he’s just a rookie, teams follow their quarterback’s lead. While the jury is out on Pickett’s career, his leadership is already clear.

Watch the latest episode of Heyward’s podcast below.