Steelers’ Kenny Pickett Injured Prior To Short-Week Matchup With Patriots

FOXBORO, Mass. -- It's hard enough watching the Patriots while they're actively playing, so you might have missed some news that could be paramount to their next game.

Is it good news? Is it bad news? We have no idea.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who are scheduled to host the Patriots on Thursday, lost quarterback Kenny Pickett in their Week 13 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. The 25-year-old had been dealing with an ankle injury in recent weeks and seemingly aggravated it the second quarter Sunday.

The injury might help New England this week, as a Cardinals victory over the Steelers would push the Patriots into the driver's seat in the race for the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

It's not a great sign for next week, however, as a prolonged absence by Pickett might give the Patriots an upper hand on a short week.

It's probably a tad early to look at draft positioning, but that's where the Patriots are at. New England entered Sunday's matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers at 2-9, needing a few wins by the Cardinal and Carolina Panthers to make the No. 1 pick a real possibility. If the Chargers hold on to win in Week 13 and Pickett returns on a short week, the talk of which signal-caller New England should draft will begin.