NFL Fans Criticized Officials for Not Throwing Flag on Play That Injured Steelers QB Kenny Pickett

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Jaguars after suffering a rib injury right before halftime. 

The biggest storyline out of this situation isn’t even the fact that Pickett missed the rest of the game. Instead, fans are talking more about how the officials didn’t call roughing the passer on the play.

Jaguars defensive lineman Adam Gotsis tackled Pickett and brought him down hard to the ground during the play. The quarterback struggled to get back up, then was taken off the field while holding his rib area. He left the game immediately and did not return with the team to start the second half.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is tended to after taking a hit against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium.

Philip G. Pavely/USA TODAY Sports

What made some fans upset is that Steelers safety Keanu Neal was flagged earlier in the game for roughing the passer against Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and it didn’t appear as “rough” as Gotsis’s tackle.

Check out some of the social media reaction to this play.

In a world where looking at the QB wrong gets you flagged for roughing the passer, a LEGITIMATE driving him into the ground gets no flag... pic.twitter.com/c7X1l4aR1G

— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) October 29, 2023

Should be roughing the passer 🤦‍♂️ #steelers #kennypickett

pic.twitter.com/GLjq4jPYug

— Matthew Luciow (@matthewluciow92) October 29, 2023

Dear Kenny Pickett,

If you are reading this in the locker room right now,

I know these refs are cheating you today.

You’ll be able to go after halftime just keep your shoulder safe and drop 20 points on this Jaguars defense.

Lets go KP8 🔥🔥🔥

— PickensBurgh🫡 (Tino) (@PickensBurgh) October 29, 2023

That hit on Kenny Pickett looked a lot worse with the full body weight of the defender on him that it did when Trevor Lawrence was given a roughing the passer call from Keanu Neal. #Steelers

— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) October 29, 2023

How is that not a roughing the passer on Kenny Pickett? #Steelers #NFL

— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) October 29, 2023

So, THAT hit on Kenny Pickett after releasing the ball didn’t constitute a flag but the hit on Trevor Lawrence DID??

What are we doing??

— Josh Taylor (@JoshTaylorHD) October 29, 2023

This is a roughing the passer but what happened to Kenny Pickett isn’t lmao pic.twitter.com/ZHZkuDgq5C

— FatGorillaPalms (@lukeross256) October 29, 2023

someone do a side by side of the flag on Keanu Neal vs. the hit on Kenny Pickett and tell me which one deserved a flag

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) October 29, 2023