Welcome Back NFL! (Part 2 of 2)

With two weeks of the NFL season in the books, 2023 is already shaping up to be a fascinating show.  Thus far, the Ravens appear to be the team to beat in the hyper-competitive AFC North, and the Cowboys defense looks historically good after dominating performances against the Giants and Jets.  On the opposite side of the spectrum, All-Pro quarterback Joe Burrow, and legendary head coaches Sean Payton and Bill Belichick, seem to be in trouble as their teams stare down the barrel of 0-2 records.

What surprises will the remaining fifteen weeks of the NFL regular season hold?  It will be exciting to find out.  Here are seven additional players worth watching as the 2023 year plays out.

Kenny Pickett

As a rookie in 2022, Pickett started twelve games and led the Steelers to a 5-2 record to close the season.  This strong finish kept the team in playoff contention until the final week in the competitive AFC North.  

This year Pickett was named Pittsburgh’s Week 1 starter, and with talent like running back Najee Harris and receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens on offense, the expectations on him were high.  Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, he has not been effective through the first two contests of 2023, recording a quarterback rating of less than seventy and throwing three interceptions.

PSA 10 copies of Pickett’s 2022 Panini Prizm rookie card were selling consistently for $200 throughout the preseason, before shooting up to $300 prior to Week 1.  Now this card can be purchased at auction for less than $150.