You've heard of Big Ben, but what about Big Ken?
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is entering Year 2 in his NFL career, and he's going into this season with new expectations along with a new nickname to boot.
Ahead of Pittsburgh's season-opener against the 49ers, Pickett got dubbed "Big Ken" by his teammates, as Cam Heyward revealed on Good Morning Football.
It's probably more of a homage to Ben Roethlisberger's moniker, "Big Ben", than it is to the male protagonist (or anti-hero?) of the new Barbie movie. As much as one would love to see Pickett to do the "I'm Just Ken" choreography after scoring a touchdown this season, the Pitt product still has some growing to do to justify his new nickname.
Steelers: Kenny Pickett gets dubbed "Big Ken"
Heyward said of his quarterback: "With Kenny, we call him Big Ken. He's just growing into that position. Last year was the tip of the iceberg. Learning things on the fly. Getting to know your receivers... This year, he's a lot more comfortable. He's got a lot more parts around him."
Whereas Roethlisberger impressed right out of the gate in his Steelers career, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004, Pickett struggled in his rookie campaign and threw seven touchdowns against nine interceptions.
Pickett should thrive from a strong offensive line and star-studded defense in Year 2 as he makes improvements to grow into a reliable starter. He put together a few game-winning performances in 2022 against the Raiders and Ravens, but doing that on a consistent week-after-week basis will be the true test of the former first-round pick's talent and mentality.
Now two years removed from the Big Ben era, Mike Tomlin, Matt Canada, and the Steelers have a lot riding on Pickett's second-year campaign. Can you feel the Kenergy?
