The Pittsburgh Steelers generated a ton of excitement throughout the city when Kenny Pickett was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats and the Steel City immediately thought there would be no problem transferring the power over to the University of Pittsburgh product. Unfortunately, the relationship was short-lived. Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2024 offseason after he didn't appreciate the way the team went about promising Russell Wilson the starting spot upon the veteran's signing.
Fast forward a little less than a year and Pickett, in his third professional season, was fortunate enough to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. If Steelers fans were told in May of 2022 that Pickett would be a Super Bowl champion after his third season, every would have signed up for that reality thinking it would have been for Pittsburgh. Instead, the New Jersey native did so with the Eagles.
Many fans in the Steel City have expressed displeasure with how the former first-rounder handled his final days in Pittsburgh, but he currently is enjoying his career, and shockingly, will have one more Super Bowl ring than guys like Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt.
The 2021 Heisman finalist is probably sitting back and laughing, and Roethlisberger isn't blaming him. While talking about the Steelers' potential future plans at quarterback on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the future Hall of Famer gave a big shoutout to the guy that was supposed to be his successor, while also acknowledging how happy Pickett probably is to be in Eastern Pennsylvania.
"I think you can get a guy that's like a second-round guy, or whatever, and make it happen," Roethlisberger said. "I mean, they took Kenny [Pickett] in the first round, which, congratulations Kenny Pickett. I know he probably wrote a letter to the Steelers saying 'thank you, I appreciate y'all letting me go.'"
Roethlisberger continued talking about Pickett's journey, and defended him when bringing up the fact that fans may have a resentment towards him. It doesn't make any sense at all to the two-time Super Bowl champion.
"I know people are hating on him and being mad at him, but why? The man did what he wanted. He was going to sit here [in Pittsburgh] and be a backup or he could go to his favorite team growing up... I'm not mad at him for making that decision and he won a Super Bowl. Good for him, so, congratulations Kenny."
These are some good points brought up by Roethlisberger. Pickett envisioned being a backup anyway and didn't appreciate how he was treated at the very beginning of the 2024 offseason, one that was supposed to be his first as the franchise's unquestioned starter. The possibility of being traded arose and it worked out for him in an incredible way.
No one will ever know what Pickett could have accomplished in Pittsburgh, but a split was right for both parties when it occurred. The quarterback was injured often, putting up subpar numbers, and didn't even have the right weapons around him to allow him to truly tap into his full potential. It also probably didn't help that he was trapped in an offense run by Matt Canada for the majority of his first two professional seasons.
The Steelers are trying to work through quarterback purgatory while the one individual who was supposed to prevent that from happening is enjoying a Super Bowl celebration. Fans in Pittsburgh can hold anything they want against Pickett, but if there is a winner this early on in the divorce, Pickett is much better off than he was a year ago.
Steelers Still Have Severe Quarterback Questions A Year After Kenny Pickett's Departure
No one knows who will be under center for Pittsburgh once the 2025 regular season kicks off. Everything is on the table, including re-signing one of the team's own prior to free agency beginning in March. The organization may not have had the proper plan in place for Pickett, which hampered his development, but Roethlisberger was spot on; Pickett owes the Steelers a thank you for essentially handing him a Super Bowl ring.
