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Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made the NFL world take notice when he stated he wasn't rooting for QB Kenny Pickett to succeed straight away after he retired.
In what was a shock to some, "Big Ben" didn't want Pickett to quickly establish himself, which is exactly what he did as he started 12 games in his rookie year and is looking like the future for the Steelers.
We hadn't heard from Pickett on Roethlisberger's comments, until now, and the young quarterback said he has no issue with the veteran's comments:
"He's honest," Pickett said Tuesday via ESPN. "He's out front about it, and he's a fan now and he's pulling for us and it was really cool to hear him say that. ... I think we're just going to continue to build on that relationship."
It is perhaps odd for a veteran who has played for a franchise for his entire career to not want that franchise to succeed in their absence, but now, "Big Ben" has seemingly turned the corner.
Perhaps it was a little bit of jealousy given he was retiring and Pickett was the new kid on the block, but now, thankfully things have apparently changed.
Kenny Pickett and Steelers are on the comeback trail
Mitch Trubisky was the starter last season, but it was evident he wasn't the way forward and after a 1-2 start, Pickett was handed the keys. He would finish his rookie season with a 7-5 record as he threw for 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.
There were always going to be growing pains with a rookie quarterback, but in Pickett's case, they were few and far between as he seemed to pick up the offense rather well.
Now with a full offseason of first-team reps to get him up to speed, many expect the Steelers to be a better version of the 9-8 team from last season.
Quarterbacks generally make a big jump in year two and the Steelers will be hoping Kenny Pickett does just that. While the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are the runaway favorites for the division, an improved Kenny Pickett with Ben Roethlisberger in their corner, maybe, just maybe, the Steelers can challenge for the AFC North.
