Kenneth Shane Pickett is an American football player. His position is a quarterback for the National Football League Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL). He played at the University of Pittsburgh in team Pittsburgh Panthers football as his college football. Kenny made his career’s start in Pittsburgh’s season finale against the second-ranked Miami Hurricanes.
Kenny won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as a senior and was also selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
To Play Against Dolphins, Steelers Expect Kenny Pickett
Following the Pittsburg Steelers’ match against the New York Jets, head coach Mike Tomlin benched Mitchell Trubisky (starting quarterback) and Kenny Pickett as his replacement.
During the 3rd quarter of the Steelers’ week 6th matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kenny Pickett took a hit from Devin White (Bucs linebacker) while throwing a pass to player Diontae Johnson. The players struck as they released the ball, which led to Kenny hitting the back of his head on the turf as he landed on the ground.
The referees on the ground immediately signaled medical personnel, and Kenny was quickly escorted to the locker room for further evaluation. At first, the Steelers announced that Kenny was about to return, but later the University of Pittsburgh alum was soon ruled out for the rest of the game with a concussion. Kenny was replaced by Mitchell Trubisky, leading the Steelers to a 20-18 victory.
Kenny’s had a head injury on 25th September against the Buffalo Bills. On 8th October, the NFL and the NFLPA announced the concussion protocol modification in a joint statement, revealing that the diagnosis of “ataxia” has officially been added to the mandatory “no-go” symptoms.
Ataxia is an abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination, or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue. Basically, in other words, if a player is diagnosed with ataxia by any club or neutral physician involved in the application of the Concussion Protocol, he will be prohibited from returning to the game and receiving the follow-up care required by the Protocol.”
As of this writing, it cannot be reported when Kenny will return to the field. But it may take longer for him to return because the NFL athlete usually takes four to six days to pass through all the concussion protocol stages. In addition, the Steeler’s policy for most players in the locker room is the need to practice at least once throughout the week to play in the game.
So if Kenny misses any practice time after the seventh week of competition, even if he is medically cleared for the game scheduled on 23rd October against the Dolphins, the Steelers will most likely make Mitch their starting quarterback.
Kenny Pickett Early Life:
| Full Real Name | Kenneth Shane Pickett |
| Family Name | Pickett |
| Profession | Footballer |
| Date Of Birth | June 6th, 1998 |
| Age | 24 years old |
| Birthday | June 6th |
| Year Of Birth | 1998 |
| Nick Name | Kenny |
| Current Residence | Pennsylvania |
| Country | USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Religion | Christian |
Kenny was born on 6th June 1998 in Oakhurst (Ocean Township), New Jersey. He belongs to a Christian family and is of mixed ethnicity.
Kenny Pickett Family Background:
| Father | Ken Pickett |
| Mother | Kasey Pickett |
| Brothers | None |
| Sisters | Alex Pickett |
Kenny’s parents are Ken and Kasey Pickett. His father, Ken, was a professional football player and was officially chosen for the famous Players Hall of Fame. Further, in siblings, Kenny has only a sister, Alex Pickett.
Kenny Pickett Education:
| Highest Qualification | Graduation |
| University | University of Pittsburgh |
| College | Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business |
| High School | Ocean Township High School |
Kenny attended Ocean Township High School and later enrolled with the Ocean Township Spartans for the New Jersey Central Group III semifinal game as a junior. He led his team to a 9–2 record. Further, in his senior year, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 23 overall high school football player in New Jersey.
During his college career, Kenny passed for 4,670 yards with 43 touchdowns and rushed for 873 yards, including 17 touchdowns. Kenny initially committed to play college football at Temple University but changed his commitment to the University of Pittsburgh.
Further, Kenny graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and then enrolled at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.
Kenny Pickett Physical stats:
| Weight In Kg | 100 kg |
| Height In Feet | 6 feet 3 inches |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | light brown |
Kenny Pickett stands at 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs around 100 kg. He has long blonde hair and amazing light brown colored eyes. Kenny’s height, athletic physics, and facial features make his handsome personality more attractive.
Kenny Pickett Birth Signs:
| Sun Sign | Gemini |
| Star Sign | Gemini |
| Birth Sign Duality | Assertive |
| Birth Sign Modality | Mutable |
Kenny is currently 24, and his birth sign is Gemini. His birth sign duality is Assertive. Further, his birth sign modality and element is Mutable Air.
According to the Chinese zodiac signs, Kenny belongs to the year of the Tiger.
Kenny Pickett’s Net worth:
| Net Worth | $5 million |
Kenny signed a four-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth $14.1 million. So his average annual salary comes to around $3.5 million.
Kenny is also partnered with the Spirits and Tales restaurant and the Oaklander Hotel, which adds to his networth.
As of 2022, Kenny’s estimated net worth is around $5 million. This amount will only grow exponentially, as Kenny is now an NFL player, with further endorsements and the guaranteed portion as his rookie’s salary.
Kenny Pickett Relationship Status:
| Marital Status | single |
| Partner Name | Amy Paternoster |
| Relationship Status | Engaged |
Kenny is unmarried but not single. He is engaged to Amy Paternoster, who is a soccer player for the Princeton Tigers. She plays a forward position, and in 2021, she won Academic-All-Ivy.
In April 2021, the couple made their relationship official and announced their engagement in January 2022. The couple was pleased to announce their engagement, and Amy posted this news on Instagram.
Kenny Pickett Career:
Kenny spent most of his freshman season at Pittsburgh in 2017 and was a backup to Max Browne and Ben DiNucci. He started his career’s first-ever game in Pittsburgh’s final game of the season against the second-ranked Miami Hurricanes. Kenny completed 18 of 29 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown; he also rushed for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns. The overall season recorded his 39 of 66 passes for 509 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception.
In 2018, Kenny returned as Pittsburgh’s starter and played in 14 games, completing 180 of 310 passes for 1,969 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He led the team as the full-time starter to their first-ever ACC Coastal Division Championship in his first season. The Panthers lost 14–13 to Stanford in the 2018 season’s Sun Bowl.
The 2019 season started with Kenny again as a starter, making 12 starts, and he missed one game due to an injury. He achieved 289 of 469 passes for 3,098 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. This was Kenny’s first season with Mark Whipple acting as the offensive coordinator, who increased the number of passes the offense threw each week. Kenny led the Panthers to a 7–5 record heading into the postseason. Further, the Panthers were selected for the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit, Michigan, and defeated Eastern Michigan 34–30. Kenny threw for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a game-winning touchdown to wide receiver Taysir Mack in the final minutes.
Kenny and the Panthers participated in a short season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, going 6–5. He played in 9 games and threw for 2,408 yards and 13 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions in that stretch.
The NCAA granted all 2020 fall athletes an extra year of eligibility, and in 2021 Kenny used this option to return as the Panthers’ starting quarterback. He took advantage of his final year of eligibility and became the nation’s top player. Kenny recorded 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns, setting school records for single-season yards and touchdowns and career yards and touchdowns. He was named a first-team All-American and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing in 3rd place. The Panthers won the ACC Championship and finished 11–2 in games Kenny started (the school’s best record since 1976). Kenny was named the men’s ACC Athlete of the Year across all sports.
Various journalists scrutinized Kenny before the draft for the size of his hands, measured at 8½ inches, believing it could make him more prone to fumbling the ball. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Kenny in the first round (20th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. On 6th September 2022, Kenny was named the backup quarterback for the Steelers behind starter Mitchell Trubisky.
Kenny made his NFL Debut in Week 4, which was a loss against the New York Jets after starter Mitchell Trubisky was benched. Kenny completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and rushed for 2 touchdowns but threw 3 interceptions in the 24–20 loss. On his first career pass attempt, he threw a deep ball to Chase Claypool, which bounced off his hands and was intercepted by Jordan Whitehead. In his second drive, Kenny scrambled into the end zone for his first-ever touchdown in his NFL career. On 4th October 2022, head coach Mike Tomlin named Kenny the starter. Later in his first career start against the Buffalo Bills, Kenny completed 34 of 51 passes for 327 yards and an interception in the 38-3 loss. In week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he went into the locker room in the third quarter, and it was later revealed that he sustained a concussion.
Kenny Pickett Social Appearance:
Kenny is active on Instagram and Twitter with more than 306k and 102k followers respectively. He has a nice post collection including, personal and professional life.
