Nick Sirianni reveals Eagles confidence level in Kenny Pickett at QB1

When news broke that Jalen Hurts was officially out for the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 17 game against the Dallas Cowboys, having to watch the team’s second Kelly Green game of the season from home instead of home field, it left fans bummed out.

Sure, Dallas isn’t great, down CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott for the rest of their playoff-less season, but after watching Kenny Pickett struggle in the second half against the Washington Commanders in Week 16, the prospects of a full gave of the Pitt product going up against an NFL defense? In 2024? Yikes, that isn’t ideal.

And yet, if there’s one person who isn’t worried about starting Pickett, it’s Nick Sirianni, who used some of his final media session before the game to shout his new starting quarterback and his also Howie Roseman, who built some pretty impressive depth during the offseason.

“Yeah, very much so. We feel good about that room. Like I said, [Executive Vice President/General Manager] Howie [Roseman] has done a great job of building depth here,” Sirianni told Eagles reporters.

“When [QB] Jalen [Hurts] was out in our game this week, he wasn’t the first starter to have to miss some time. That’s the great part about the team, you hate when you lose a guy and they’re not able to go, but it gives other people opportunities to step in and play. I think that’s what’s happened consistently here this year from [T] Fred Johnson to [CB] Isaiah Rodgers to [TE] Grant Calcaterra. I’m excited about this team. I’m excited about the depth we have, and [QB] Kenny [Pickett] is included in that.”

Asked how Pickett has embraced being a backup in Philadelphia after being “the guy” in Pittsburgh, Sirianni noted that the Ocean Township, New Jersey native embraced it, handling himself professionally in a position he certainly isn’t used to filling.

“Just very professional, wanting to learn new things and continuing to grow his game. I just think he’s been great for the room and a great addition to the room,” Sirianni noted.

“I just feel like he’s treated it from day one as, how does he get better every day? Not worrying about the circumstances that he’s in, but how does he get better every day? I’ve seen improvement from the moment he stepped in here.”

When the Eagles added Pickett to the roster earlier this year, it felt like a risk worth taking. Sure, Pickett had plenty of starting experience, and there were a few fans who wanted to see him start for this team, too, despite his play in Pittsburgh, but he wasn’t going to threaten Hurts in the same way as, say, Justin Fields. The team could also safely assume that he wasn’t going to stink up the joint if put into a game like, say, Zach Wilson, who was also available but wasn’t nearly as playoff-ready on a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Now granted, some fans will still rage against the idea of playing Pickett in Week 17, as he played poorly during the preseason and again against the Commanders. But hey, if Sirianni feels comfortable with giving him the nod and the Eagles had a whole week to get him ready, why not roll the dice to see how things shake out? Worst-case scenario, it will only make Hurts look better ahead of his return in January.