Despite a promising finish to his first year in the NFL, no one should be putting Kenny Pickett in the Hall of Fame just yet. But a piece of Pickett memorabilia already has a place in Canton.
A game-used ball from the Steelers’ 13-10 win last season against the Las Vegas Raiders at Acrisure Stadium is now on display, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s social media accounts Monday morning. It’s the ball Pickett threw to George Pickens for a 14-yard score with 46 seconds left. The display highlights “Pickett’s Historic 2022 Rookie Season” and notes that he became the first rookie in NFL history to throw the winning touchdown pass in the final minute of two consecutive games.
????️New to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) March 13, 2023
The ball with which @kennypickett10 threw the game-winning pass against the Raiders on Christmas Eve.
This made Pickett the first rookie QB in NFL history to throw game-winning TDs in the last minute of back to back games.
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Pickett actually accomplished the feat a week later, in the team’s 16-13 win at Baltimore, but the Raiders game has added historical significance. It was played on Christmas Eve, which effectively became Franco Harris Night as the franchise celebrated the 50-year anniversary of his Immaculate Reception, four days after he died unexpectedly at 72.
That’s not all included on the laminated sheet next to the ball, but many Steelers fans who visit the Hall of Fame likely will remember the circumstances. At the time, Pickett downplayed his clutch achievement, given that the Steelers were in the midst of a playoff push.
“I just got lucky that they're back-to-back weeks. I don't know if anyone's done it. It’s all about getting wins,” Pickett said a few days after the Ravens game. “We practice that situation so many times. ... It's a step in the right direction for our team, for sure.”
And, apparently, a step into immortality at the football shrine a couple hours from Pittsburgh.
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: March 13, 2023, 3:31 p.m.
