Steelers QB Kenny Pickett responds to shutting it down for the season.

The 2023 regular season has two games left, but it’s unclear if quarterback Kenny Pickett will play them.

If it had been up to him, Pickett would have been out there. Has he thought about giving up because of his high ankle sprain? Not even for a brief moment.

According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, Pickett stated that closing it down for the season had not crossed his mind. He’s a real competitor who won’t let an injury stop him from competing.

“I would never think that way,” he declared on Wednesday. “I’m always trying to come back as soon as possible.”

However, Mike Tomlin has been considering it as he gets his team ready for another Mason Rudolph start.

Rudolph, who received first-team repetitions on the first practice day in preparation for the Seattle Seahawks, is expected to make his second start of the season.

Pickett, though, is making every effort to be prepared.

“(I’m) getting the mental reps, taking advantage of the stuff that I’m not getting physically by just standing behind and going through my reads,” Pickett stated.

He is pushing himself because he thinks he could go. “I think I could. Every day I strive to do better. The trainers are to blame. The coaches are to blame. It’s how they envision me moving and how they wish to approach it.”

A key component of Pickett’s game is his mobility, particularly in light of the offensive line’s erratic protection. It makes no sense to have him out there if he’s not at full strength.