Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) hands are apparently big enough and strong enough to avoid turnovers. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers' Cam Heyward: Kenny Pickett hand-size talk 'got blown out of proportion'

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 7/15/22

After the Pittsburgh Steelers spent a first-round draft selection this spring on Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that he did not "buy into the hand size thing" that routinely hovered over Pickett's status ahead of the player-selection process.

What is done is done, and Tomlin and company will soon learn for themselves if Pickett's hands are, indeed, big enough and strong enough to avoid turnovers, particularly while playing in December and January NFL games.

Pittsburgh All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward had some fun at his teammate's expense when speaking about the matter during the recent edition of his "Not Just Football" podcast.

"I think it got blown out of proportion and then I just kind of ran with it," Heyward explained, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "You know, why can’t I call my rookie quarterback 'Burger King Hands?' He will be on the show later on and I will be giving him a hard time then, but, man, the dude can still play."

Heyward was referencing a well-known commercial:

"I talk a good game and I like to give people a hard time, but I won’t say his hands were really small or anything," Heyward continued during his comments. "Like he’s got average-size hands and I didn’t think anything of it. He was able to throw the ball, still able to whip it around, and he’s got the ball in his hands for a reason. He was able to do it in college."

Heyward also seemed to admit that free-agent signing Mitchell Trubisky has an advantage over both Pickett and career backup Mason Rudolph in any quarterback competition heading into training camp.

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