The Philadelphia Eagles acquired quarterback Kenny Pickett in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, and he will be serving as Jalen Hurts’ backup.
It will be a new experience for Pickett, as he was the starting quarterback for the Steelers in each of his first two NFL seasons (well, until he kind of lost his job to Mason Rudolph late in 2023). However, he seems to be enjoying every minute of it thus far.
When asked about his new digs, Pickett said he is happy to be part of such an impressive group.
“It’s been great,” Pickett said, via Rob Kuester of NBC Philadelphia. “Obviously, Jalen’s an incredibly talented player. He’s played in a similar system, and we’re kind of all learning this new one together. So the communication back and forth in the quarterback room has been awesome with the quarterbacks coaching us and Kellen (Moore). I couldn’t ask for a better room, better staff to be working with. Obviously, the talent around this team is pretty special, so it’s a great group to be in.”
Pittsburgh selected Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and were hoping he would be Ben Roethlisberger’s successor, but it didn’t really work out that way. In 24 starts with the Steelers, Pickett accumulated 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Apparently, Pickett has been looking great in organized team activities, so maybe a change of scenery was needed for the third-year signal-caller.
Can Jalen Hurts and the Eagles erase the stench of last season?
Two years ago, the Eagles made it all the way to the Super Bowl, and this past season, they appeared to be well on their way to achieving that feat again after starting the 2023 campaign 10-1.
However, Philadelphia proceeded to lose five of its last six regular-season games to end the year at 11-6, marking the first time in NFL history that a team failed to win 12 games after winning 10 of its first 11. To put the cherry on top, Philly was then obliterated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Hurts absorbed a whole lot of criticism for the Eagles’ miserable second half, as he took a major step back last season after finishing second in MVP voting the year prior. Hurts threw for 3,858 yards, 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2023. He also lost five fumbles, so ball security was a significant issue for the 25-year-old.
So, have Hurts and the Birds put 2023 behind them?
We won’t know until we actually see Philadelphia get out on the field, but the front office definitely took measures to buck the trend this offseason by signing running back Saquon Barkley and making some moves to improve the defense in free agency and the NFL Draft.
Of course, Philly is still largely the same ballclub from last season. Nick Sirianni is still the head coach, Hurts is still under center and most of the key characters are all still there. Well, aside from center Jason Kelce, who announced his retirement from football (which could end up being a major blow for the Eagles, both from an on-field and off-field standpoint).
Philadelphia will not only have to dethrone the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East, but it will also have to contend with the likes of the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers in what is an improved conference in general. And let’s give some respect to the Buccaneers, too. After all, it was them who sent Philly packing last January.
Hurts will have to prove that his fantastic 2022 campaign wasn’t an outlier in what has otherwise been a fairly ordinary NFL career thus far.
