Why Does Kenny Pickett Wear Gloves? Fans Have Questions
Published April 29 2022, 1:19 p.m. ET
The 2022 NFL draft has already caused quite a bit of conversation among fans, with many pining to see who will be the biggest and brightest stars of the next generation of football. With a lot of surprise selections taking place on April 28, 2022, it's more clear than ever that the next NFL season will be one for the books.
One of the league's new stars who is garnering a lot of attention as of late is New Jersey native Kenny Pickett, who was selected to be the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers during this year's draft.
Considering the fact that he was selected for such a key position on the team, fans are immediately analyzing every detail of Kenny's abilities and physique. One question that seems to keep coming up is with regard to why he wears gloves so often. So, why does he? Keep reading to find out.
Why does Kenny Pickett wear gloves? His hand size has caused concern among fans.
When it comes to NFL quarterback selection, one of the most prominent topics on recruiters' (and fans') minds is hand size. Indeed, the usually forgotten physical trait takes center stage when it comes to quarterback recruitment, and Kenny's smaller hand size has drawn some concern among fans and football commentators who think it will impede his abilities.
Kenny isn't the first to join the league with skepticism over his physical traits.
Warren Sharp offered some perspective on Kenny's hand size compared to other NFL stars on Twitter: "Perspective on Pickett's 8.5 inch hands. Of 663 QBs with measured hand sizes since 1987, only 9 had smaller than 8.5" hands. There is no QB in the NFL with 8.5" hands. There has been no QB to enter the NFL in at least 5 yrs w 8.5" hands. Last successful QB w 8.5" hands was Mike Vick."
Concerns over Kenny's hand size largely have to do with fans questioning if he'll be able to avoid fumbling the ball and ensure that his throws reach downfield, but if we're comparing to the likes of Michael Vick, who has the same size hands as Kenny, it's clear that there are ways to mitigate any issues his smaller hands could cause.
Kenny has been wearing gloves to help get a better grip on the ball for some time.
By utilizing a pair of specialized football gloves, Kenny is able to slightly extend the length of his fingers and make better use of the surface area that he already has with the gloves' enhanced grip. Gloves have been used among NFL players in a variety of capacities for years, making Kenny far from an anomaly. However, with NFL footballs being slightly bigger than collegiate footballs, Kenny will still have some serious adjusting to do, gloves aside, when he finally takes to the field as a Steeler.