The Green Bay Packers became the first team of the 2024 NFL regular season to see their starting quarterback suffer an injury. They won’t be the last. In fact, another injury has already occurred to Miami Dolphins signal caller Tua Tagovailoa. With each of those injuries, rumors swirled on whether either team would be interested in adding a quarterback with starter experience. One quarterback with starting experience currently not on the top of his team’s depth chart is Philadelphia Eagles signal caller Kenny Pickett.
Could Pickett be a trade target for either the Packers or Dolphins? Perhaps.
The Eagles traded for Pickett themselves this past offseason to add a quality backup.
But assuming injuries continue to pile up behind center as they have in recent NFL seasons, Pickett could become more valuable as a trade chip in a quarterback sellers market than on the Eagles roster.
Proposed Trade Sends QB Kenny Pickett to Miami Dolphins
With Jordan Love sidelined because of an MCL sprain, the Packers are set to start Malik Willis. Green Bay acquired Willis from the Tennessee Titans in August.
Depending on how Willis plays in Week 2, the Packers could still be interested in acquiring another quarterback. Even if that’s the case, the Eagles may not be inclined to help an NFC foe.
But the more teams hunting the trade market for a quarterback, the higher Pickett’s potential trade price could be. Miami could be a logical landing spot for Pickett.
If Tagovailoa can’t play in Week 3, the Dolphins will likely start Skylar Thompson. They also have veteran Tim Boyle on the practice squad.
Pickett would be a superior option to either quarterback. On September 13, Fansided’s Zach Pressnell proposed Pickett as a trade target for the Dolphins.
“Pickett has flashed some potential, from time to time, despite being one of the hardest-critiqued signal callers in the league,” wrote Pressnell.
“Though Pickett has struggled, he’s been dealt pretty bad hands so far in his NFL career. He worked with potentially the worst offensive mind in football, Matt Canada, which can be directly attributed to his struggles early on.”
In Pressnell’s proposed trade, the Dolphins landed Pickett from the Eagles for a pair of seventh-round picks. The Eagles acquired Pickett and a 2024 fourth-rounder from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2024 third-round selection and two seventh-round choices.
To win a Pickett exchange, the Eagles probably need to see more than two seventh-rounders in return. There are also other quarterbacks the Dolphins could potentially be interested in such as Jimmy Garoppolo, Joshua Dobbs or Ryan Tannehill.
But again, if a trade to the Dolphins doesn’t unfold, Pickett could be a target for another team before the trade deadline.
Should the Eagles Keep Pickett as Their Backup QB?
There’s one obvious argument why the Eagles shouldn’t shop Pickett over the next month. Trading Pickett will hurt Philadelphia’s quarterback depth.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has a history with injuries. While he played in every game last season, he missed two contests in both 2021 and 2022.
The Eagles have to be completely comfortable with quarterback Tanner McKee if they trade Pickett. McKee currently sits as the team’s No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart.
Pickett’s rookie contract also doesn’t expire until after the 2025 season. The Eagles could prefer to have the inexpensive backup quarterback wither starter experience rather than extra draft capital.
Pickett is 14-10 with a 62.6% completion percentage, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 25 NFL games. He has also recorded a 6.3 yards per attempt average.
