The Steelers acquired Allen Robinson in part to bring a veteran presence to the club’s receivers room.
But if Robinson has a bounce-back year, he could also provide a solid target for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.
This week, Robinson said he’s been impressed with the young signal-caller during the team’s offseason program.
“For a second-year quarterback he is definitely wise beyond his years,” Robinson said, via Teresa Varley of the team’s website. “How he leads the charge. His work ethic day in and day out. Very focused. He is definitely beyond his years.
“I was impressed when I got here. Watching somebody from the outside looking in, you definitely see the talent. Once you actually get in the facility and are able to be around Kenny, you see why he is successful.”
Robinson added that he watched Pickett play in college at Pitt and noticed there that the quarterback has a knack for winning.
“I don’t think that goes anywhere once a guy gets to the NFL. Once you put other guys around him, you start to see that player evolve into even more of a guy,” Robinson said. “Leaders are born. … It doesn’t take a lot of time for a guy who is a natural leader. I think anybody here can tell that from Kenny.
“I have been here a little over a month and you can already tell his leadership, how he leads the charge day in and day out. For a second-year guy, that isn’t easy. For a guy to be able to take a bull by the horns like that, it’s pretty impressive.”
Pickett completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,404 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions as a rookie. While the Steelers have kept continuity in the QBs room, Pickett is now the unquestioned starter heading into the 2023 season.