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USATSI

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett looks like he is improving as he enters his second season in the league, with solid preseason play. Not only is his performance on the field getting better, but head coach Mike Tomlin says the 25-year-old is also making strides off the field with his impact in the locker room.

Tomlin did touch on how Pickett looked in the preseason games, saying he has been "really solid." However, what is he is most impressed by is how Pickett is growing as a leader. The longtime coach says it is that kind of maturity that is crucial to being a successful team.

"The leadership things, the communication things, the bringing-people-together things," Tomlin said, via NBC Sports. "That is significant. It's not play related, but it is. He is the catalyst for that unit, he controls the pace and the tenor of that unit, and I think if he's comfortable that unit is comfortable, and I think that's been the biggest difference."

In Pickett's first preseason game he went 6-for-7 with 70 yards and one touchdown. In his second showing he went 3-4 for 43 yards and one touchdown, and in the final preseason game he was a perfect 4-for-4 with 86 yards in the air. The Steelers won all three games and with more experience both in the leadership position and on the field, they have potential for a winning season.

In 2022, Pickett started 12 games, throwing for 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. If he continues the way he is playing now, the second-year QB will see an uptick in his stats from his rookie year.

Pickett is not putting too much stake in his August performance, saying (via The Athletic), "It is preseason, man. Nothing counts, so it is kind of easy to remain motivated because we haven't done anything yet. Everybody understands that."

The Steelers will start playing games that do count on Sept. 10 when they host the San Francisco 49ers.