The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Kenny Pickett had surgery to address a high ankle sprain he sustained in Sunday’s 10-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The news was confirmed to reporters by the team’s head coach, Mike Tomlin, on Monday.
Pickett picked up the injury in the second quarter of the Cardinals game. According to Tomlin, the surgery will accelerate the 25-year-old’s recovery process, but he declined to provide details on the timetable for Pickett’s return to action.
“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 at a press conference. “That’s why I framed it the way that I framed it. Rest assured, he won’t be available this week.”
Pickett has struggled for the most part of the 2023 season, completing 62.0 percent of his passes and throwing for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. However, it seemed like the 2022 first-round pick might be positioned for a strong finish of the campaign after the Steelers made an offensive coordinator change that resulted in Pickett throwing for a season-high 278 yards in a Week 12 win over the Bengals.
With Pickett out, the Steelers will turn to veteran Mitch Trubisky as their starter for the upcoming Thursday Night Football game against the New England Patriots. Trubisky played in three games this season, throwing for 273 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
