Desmond King isn't sure why the Houston Texans cut him last week. It took all of 48 hours for King to find a new gig, one at the other end of the NFL spectrum. King practically sprinted to Pittsburgh, eager to join a defense littered with stars and an organization that hasn't been through a full-on rebuild like the Texans are undergoing in decades.
EXPECTATIONS: QB Kenny Pickett's solid if not always spectacular finish to his rookie season reinforced to the Steelers that they made the right call when they took him in the first round of the 2022 draft. Coach Mike Tomlin speaks frequently about the jump from a player's first season to his second is an important one. Pickett certainly looked ready to take a step forward during the preseason, when he led the starting offense to touchdowns in each of the five drives he played.
Kenny Pickett led two touchdown drives and showed he and the Pittsburgh starters are ready for real games as the Steelers overpowered the Atlanta Falcons' backups 24-0 on Thursday night in the final preseason game for both teams. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren ran for touchdowns to cap the only drives led by Pickett, who completed 4 of 4 passes for 86 yards in his short but productive playing time.