2022 NFL draft: Should the Steelers care if Kenny Pickett skips his bowl game?

There has become a groundswell of support from the NFL draft community as well as Pittsburgh Steelers fanbase for Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett to be the team’s 2022 first-round draft pick.

It’s hard to fault anyone who wants the next Steelers franchise quarterback to be Pickett. He’s easily the most improved quarterback in college football this season. His development in the mental parts of the game has made a leap and he went from good to elite in one year.

Some might say Pickett is too good to be true. And maybe he is but his latest football business decision might turn some fans off as a prospect. Pickett has chosen to skip the Peach Bowl with his team and instead will begin his preparation for the 2022 NFL draft.

This is hardly the first time we’ve seen a top prospect skip a bowl game as a business decision. There have been players who skip entire seasons for it. But this might be the first time a guy squarely on the first-round radar of the Steelers who falls into that category.

So my question to Steeler Nation is simple and in two parts. First, should the Steelers care that Pickett is skipping the bowl game in terms of his value as a draft prospect? And second, does Pickett’s decision influence your opinion of him in any way? Let us know in the comments below.

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