Category: Kenny Pickett

Ex-Steelers QB Kenny Pickett sounds like a quitter

The Steelers moved on from Kenny Pickett after he requested a trade.

Things didn’t work out between the Pittsburgh Steelers and new Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. Pickett was the local hero and the Steelers first-round pick but after just two tumultuous seasons, Pickett is out and the Steelers have completely rebuilt their depth chart with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Pickett spoke to the media as a member of the Eagles this week and talked about how things ended with the Steelers and that fateful game last season where he reportedly refused to dress for the game as the team’s third quarterback.

“I just thought it was time,” Pickett said. “It felt like it was time from the things that transpired, and I wanted a chance to go somewhere else and continue to grow my career.”

Pickett reportedly asked for a trade shortly after he was informed that the team was signing Wilson as a free agent. He did this, presumably because he didn’t feel like he’d have a chance to compete for the starting job. Now he finds himself in Philadelphia where Jalen Hurts is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and he’s relegated to backup once again.

“I handled it the way I should’ve handled it,” Pickett went on. The more that comes out about this situation, the more it sounds like Pickett quit on his team last season and felt entitled to his job back after it. I’m glad the Steelers didn’t feel that same way and he is clearly a guy who couldn’t handle the idea of an earned demotion.

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QB Kenny Pickett slights Steelers in farewell message

Ex-Steelers QB Kenny Pickett posted his farewell message on Instagram this afternoon.

Kenny Pickett’s time with the Pittsburgh Steelers was a rocky one and eventually led to his cross-state trade to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The former Steelers quarterback took two days to pen his farewell letter, and even then, he failed to mention the team that selected him at No. 20 overall in the 2022 NFL draft.

Pickett posted to Instagram this afternoon:

“Thank you, Pittsburgh! I came to this city 7 years ago and my life changed forever. Grateful for all of the amazing people I was fortunate enough to cross paths with, and for all of those who supported me along the way. I made life-long friendships and relationships that I will always cherish. Now, I am honored and excited for the next opportunity in my career – being able to play for the team that helped me find my love for the game as a kid. Go Birds!!”

Pickett’s last season in the black and gold was filled with drama. Ultimately, what did him in was Pittsburgh’s decision to sign free agent quarterback Russell Wilson and perhaps even the process they were in to trade for Justin Fields.

Pickett wasn’t about to slide from QB1 to QB3 behind Wilson and Fields, and he demanded a trade, which the Steelers granted.

The third-year quarterback now gets to fulfill a dream of being on the roster of the team he grew up cheering for. Barring injury to Jalen Hurts, though, preseason will be the only time he takes the field.

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A post shared by Kenny Pickett (@kennypickett8)

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Ex-Steelers QB Kenny Pickett’s situation goes from bad to worse with Eagles

If ex-Steelers QB Kenny Pickett thought he had it bad in Pittsburgh, just wait.

We’re learning more and more about Kenny Pickett and his character after the stunning trade to the Philadelphia Eagles.

According to Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, this trade was prompted by Pickett’s behavior at the end of last season and how he handled the news of Russell Wilson joining the team.

It’s one thing to back up a bridge veteran on the downside of his career, but now Pickett heads to Philadelphia — where the fans and media are far worse than he’s endured in Pittsburgh — to back up MVP-caliber quarterback Jalen Hurts, who got paid a boatload of money in 2023.

There’s no telling if Pickett would’ve worked his way up to QB1 after Wilson’s contract with the Steelers ended, but he would’ve at least had an opportunity where he definitely won’t in Philly.

Philadelphia is no place for a quarterback with a fragile ego. Pickett will be eaten alive.

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Steelers beat writer shares insight on Kenny Pickett trade

According to reports, Kenny Pickett asked for a trade.

The Pittsburgh Steelers went from a legitimate quarterback competition between Russell Wilson and Kenny Pickett to sending Pickett across Pennsylvania to the Philadelphia Eagles. How did this come together so quickly? According to Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, this trade was prompted by Pickett’s behavior at the end of last season as well as how he handled the news of Wilson joining the team.

Last season was a nightmare for Pickett and by extension the Steelers offense. When Pickett suffered his high ankle sprain he had a tightrope procedure to try and get back on the field sooner. But because Mason Rudolph played so well in his absence, the team opted to leave him sidelined and according to Dulac, Pickett refused to dress for the team’s Week 17 game because he was healthy but would have been listed as the emergency quarterback.

We don’t know the details of conversations this offseason but no one should be surprised that Pickett was upset about the team signing Wilson. Here is what NFL reporter Tom Pelissero reported about how everything went down.

Mike Tomlin had promised Kenny Pickett he’d get a chance to compete. Pickett learned about the Russell Wilson signing on social media Sunday night. When they spoke the next morning, Tomlin told Pickett that Wilson was in pole position and would get the first reps. So, Pickett asked for a trade. Now he’s an Eagle.

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Steelers trade QB Kenny Pickett to Eagles

The Steelers have moved on from Kenny Pickett.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers have traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. Here’s how the trade works out:

Steelers get:

  • 2024 third-round pick (No. 98)
  • Two 2025 seventh-round picks

Eagles get:

  • QB Kenny Pickett
  • 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 120)

Pickett was the Steelers’ first-round pick in 2022 but wasn’t developing as quickly as the team had hoped. The Steelers went out and made a huge move when they signed Russell Wilson in free agency. It seemed there would be a quarterback competition, but Pittsburgh decided it was easier to just cut ties with Pickett and get some compensation.

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Ryan Clark slams Steelers decision to roll with QB Kenny Pickett

Ryan Clark was no-holds-barred on Kenny Pickett.

Quarterback will remain the hottest topic of debate in the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ realm until their dilemma is laid to rest. And there’s no telling when that will be.

The ever-vocal former Steeler Ryan Clark, an analyst for ESPN, had this to say on Wednesday morning’s “Get Up” about what ultimately sounds like the Steelers rolling with Kenny Pickett heading into 2024.

What they’re going to do is they’re going to try to go out and get a veteran that can push Kenny Pickett. A veteran they can have an unbiased competition with. And if Kenny Pickett wins that, they can walk into the season and say ‘OK. We went out and we tried to improve at the position,’ whether it’s a Ryan Tannehill or Russell Wilson. And Kenny Pickett was a better choice than they were to lead the team this year. So now we have the confidence in the guy we drafted in the first round.

If they do all that, it is going to be on-brand for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s going to be dead wrong in this situation. You’re going to strap your team to a quarterback that can’t lead you to the promised land. The reason the Terrible Towel means something, the reason that six Lombardis mean something is because that organization was built on excellence. Kenny Pickett is not going to be your leader to the promised land of excellence. And if he’s not, I do believe it is time to do something different at that position.

The truth of the matter is, no one knows what Pickett can do under the guidance of a capable offensive coordinator. While he’s shown promise, he did previously struggle in key areas. However, until we see the big picture, it’s not entirely fair to be so harsh on the third-year quarterback. Many first-round signal-callers have taken years to develop, and some never do.

Pickett could surprise everyone in 2024. But in case he doesn’t, the Steelers really should have Plan B waiting in the wings via this year’s free agency and/or the draft. Kevin Colbert thought he did, but it was too little, too late. It would be a shame for them to make that same mistake twice.

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Does Omar Khan’s response prove division in the ranks on Steelers QB Kenny Pickett?

The Steelers QB situation has been unsettled since Ben Roethlisberger retired and this offseason is no different.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation has been unsettled since Ben Roethlisberger retired and this offseason is no different.

Because getting the quarterback situation right is paramount in the NFL, it’s been the hottest topic since well before their playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.

“We have, we have… I mean, uh, I have full faith in Kenny,” he told Steelers media on Thursday. “He’s shown us some good things, and obviously, there were some issues with the offense.

Khan hasn’t talked to the media in months, so it could’ve just been nerves. But the way he started his response certainly leaves room for interpretation.

He quickly corrected just who has faith in Pickett among the Steelers ranks. Of course, he’s not speaking for Mike Tomlin or Arthur Smith, only on his behalf. But it did stand out that he started his response with “we” and made a concerted effort to change the pronoun.

Khan’s stammering shows accuracy in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Gerry Dulac’s Feb. 17 report that the front office is divided on Pickett.

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Steelers GM Omar Khan has ‘full faith’ in Kenny Pickett

Omar Khan had quarterback Kenny Pickett’s back when speaking from the NFL Scouting Combine.

General manager Omar Khan stood before a scrum of Pittsburgh Steelers reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine and said exactly what he was supposed to about Kenny Pickett.

“I have full faith in Kenny,” he told Steelers media on Thursday. “He’s shown us some good things, and obviously, there were some issues with the offense.

“I’m excited about the impact that Arthur Smith’s gonna have on him. Arthur is very optimistic about Kenny. They’ve communicated. We’ll have some strong competition there and we’ll see where it goes.”

The Combine isn’t really the place to state otherwise about the Steelers presumed starter. They’re an organization that always keeps things close to the vest as Khan did.

But following up having “full faith” in Pickett with “strong competition” seems to contradict itself.

There’s no question Pittsburgh will have four quarterbacks going into offseason training, but it’s unclear whether QB1 status is Pickett’s to lose or if there will even be a true competition.

How long of a leash does Mike Tomlin extend QB Kenny Pickett?

Given his inability to put points on the board or stay healthy since he was handed the starting job, how much patience will the brass have with Kenny Pickett?

If you believe the early word out of Pittsburgh, Kenny Pickett is the Steelers starting quarterback for the 2024 season.

But given his inability to put points on the board or stay healthy since he was handed the starting job four weeks into his rookie season, how much patience will the brass have with him?

Just how long will Pickett’s leash be next season?

Ray Fittipaldo, Steelers insider for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, believes just a third of the season.

“I don’t know what you would consider a short or long leash, but I think six games is fair,” Fittipaldo wrote in his Feb. 20 Steelers fan chat.

Fittipaldo thinks Mitch Trubisky got the shaft when he was yanked at halftime of Week 4 in 2022. “I thought 3 1/2 games for Trubisky was very unfair. But you don’t want to wait half a season either especially if you fall behind in the playoff race.”

It’s a make-or-break season for Pickett, but if his performance starts leaning to the break side, you can almost guarantee he’ll be benched.

What we don’t currently know is who would start in his place if Pickett doesn’t show significant improvement.

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Peter King rips Steelers for stubborn stance on QB Kenny Pickett

It’ll be tough for the Steelers to hang with the big dogs in the AFC North, let alone if they reach the playoffs, without a QB who can consistently put points on the scoreboard. 

If the reports coming out of Pittsburgh aren’t just smoke and mirrors, the Steelers have no plans to bring in a veteran starter this offseason.

NFL columnist Peter King thinks the Steelers’ stubborn stance is crazy, and who can blame him? They’ll need to see significant improvement in Kenny Pickett‘s performance — and a healthy season — to get them to contending status. And there’s no guarantee, especially based on his history, that it’ll happen.

King wrote what all Steelers fans are feeling right now in his Feb. 19 Football Morning in America column. “I think, speaking of the Steelers, longtime beat man on the team Gerry Dulac reported the other day that the Steelers ‘are not interested in bringing in a quarterback who wants to be a starter.’ Come again? In a division with Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson, the Steelers would actually choose to enter camp with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph (should he sign in free agency with Pittsburgh)? That sounds like a colossal misjudgment of your quarterback position.”

It’s a colossal misjudgment, indeed. It’ll be challenging for the Steelers to hang with the big dogs in the AFC North, let alone if they reach the playoffs, without a quarterback who can consistently put points on the scoreboard.

Maybe Kenny Pickett will prove us all wrong in 2024.

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