Former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Heavily Booed In First Return To Pittsburgh Since Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers once thought they had their future franchise quarterback in Kenny Pickett. He was the successor of Ben Roethlisberger after the organization selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh. He debuted a few games into the 2022 season after Head Coach Mike Tomlin decided to bench Mitch Trubisky. He had an up-and-down rookie year, but finished the season strong, which led fans to having high expectations for the second-year quarterback going into the 2023 season.

Pickett's second season didn't go well, as the offense was often stagnant and he was less than spectacular. His injury issues continued, and he struggled to find real production through the air. Pittsburgh decided to go out and sign Russell Wilson during the 2024 offseason, which led to them trading Pickett across the state to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Pickett was a legend in Pittsburgh, just not for the Steelers, but for the college football team. He made his return to Pitt on Saturday, and was boo'ed heavily by the crowd.

The reaction to this was a bit split. There is a ton of crossover between Pitt fans and Steelers fans, and the way Pickett left Pittsburgh left a sour taste in the mouths of a lot of fans. He refused to compete with Wilson for the starting job, and eventually wound up requesting a trade to go elsewhere. Now, he is a sure-fire backup who has no chance of starting behind a $255 million quarterback in Jalen Hurts.

Pickett and the entire Steelers offense were fairly disappointing during the 2023 season. He struggled to stay in games, leaving three due to injury. He also continued to struggle to throw touchdown passes, as he threw just six touchdown passes in 12 starts. He did enough to lead the Steelers to a winning record, but overall, he didn't live up to the high expectations that were placed on him. 

The quarterback joined the Steelers after being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy during the 2021 collegiate season. He is a legend at Pitt, but his reputation is quite the opposite with the Steelers. Fans hoped he would be able to continue his success, but the quarterback struggled at the NFL level and never lived up to his first-round label.

The Steelers eventually dealt Pickett to the Eagles as a part of a pick swap, and the Steelers used that pick on Payton Wilson. Wilson has impressed throughout training camp and the preseason, and should be an immediate contributor for Pittsburgh's defense.

Steelers' Former Quarterback In Kenny Pickett Has Been Struggling In Philadelphia

There was no way that Pickett would over take Hurts and steal the starting job in Philadelphia, but he was thought to be one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. During the preseason, he proved that theory wrong, as he continued his bad habits and tendencies with the Eagles. Pickett kept taking sacks and was nothing more than an inefficient game manager.

Pickett found himself in a bit of a competition just to become the backup with the Eagles. For a while, he was in serious danger of sliding down the depth chart and becoming the third-string quarterback.

Pickett's time with the Steelers may not have gone according to plan, but his tremendous college days cannot be ignored. When he returns to his alma mater, he shouldn't have to worry about being boo'ed, and fans should be able to separate his collegiate and professional careers.