Steelers QB Kenny Pickett leaves loss to Texans with knee injury
The Texans rolled past the Steelers 30-6 on Sunday afternoon in Houston
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was helped off the field with a knee injury Sunday afternoon after taking an awkward sack during their 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans.
Late in the third quarter at NRG Stadium, Pickett dropped back to try and convert a fourth-and-1. As his pocket started collapsing, he rolled out to the left side and was brought down awkwardly by Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard.
Greenard fell into Pickett’s left leg as he brought him down, and Pickett reached for it instantly after the play.
Kenny Pickett's pocket movement is awful. He sacks himself or drifts into defenders way too often, just like in college.
He ends up getting hurt on a 4th and 1 stop, unfortunately. pic.twitter.com/AjWrYEktWr— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) October 1, 2023
Pickett was helped up and off the field, and the Steelers quickly ruled him out the rest of the way with a left knee injury.
Specifics about his knee injury are not yet known. Pickett was replaced by backup Mitch Trubisky, who went just 3-of-5 for 18 yards in Pickett's absence.
Pickett finished the day throwing 15-of-23 for 114 yards and one interception. Pickett entered the week with four touchdowns and three interceptions while completing just shy of 60% of his passes so far this season. He threw a pair of touchdowns in the Steelers' 23-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders last week. The 25-year-old is in the second year of his initial four-year, $14 million rookie deal with the team.
Even with Pickett in for much of the game, the Texans had little issue rolling to the 23-point win. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud opened the game with a 12-play, 69-yard scoring drive that he capped with a 2-yard toss to Nico Collins. The Texans intercepted Pickett on the next drive, too, which set up a 36-yard field goal from Ka'imi Fairbairn — who added two more in the second quarter to give the Texans a 16-0 lead at the break. Stroud found Collins again for a 52-yard score in the fourth quarter, and Devin Singletary threw a 6-yard score to tight end Dalton Schultz, to seal the win.
Stroud went 16-of-30 for 306 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Dameon Pierce ran for 81 yards on 24 carries for the Texans, and Collins finished with 168 receiving yards on seven catches. The Texans have now won two straight following last week's 37-17 blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
