The Pittsburgh Steelers made a bold decision this offseason moving on from former first round pick, Kenny Pickett. The move has not only been filled with scrutiny and speculation, but has the potential to be a franchise-altering transaction for both parties.
Hours after agreeing with former Denver Broncos quarterback, Russell Wilson, the Steelers made a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to trade away Pickett and a 2024 fourth rounder, in exchange for a third round pick in 2024 (that would eventually become Payton Wilson), and two 2025 seventh round picks. Soon after dealing Pickett, the Chicago Bears sent Justin Fields to Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional 2025 sixth round pick.
There were plenty of questions asked about the abrupt departure of a player who was meant to be in a quarterback competition, but the most questionable report centered around Pickett's bad attitude and fragile ego. Since the trade, members of the coaching staff in Philadelphia have quickly come to the defense of someone they believe could take the reigns of a team in the future.
Pickett's private coach, Tony Racioppi, who has worked with him since college, has been one of the most vocal about protecting Pickett's image against these offseason allegations.
"I would say the majority of those narratives were pushed by people. And they are 100% BS. I would put his leadership ability against anybody out there. I will always believe in that kid. He has it. He has it physically. He has it mentally. He's tough. He's smart. There's this work ethic to him. He has the talent and abilities. He has what you want. So much of that league is (the) right place, right time (and) wrong place, wrong time. There's so many cases that point to that."
Pickett and his representation believe that the move to Philadelphia is a great step to rebound his career. Pickett is slated to be the backup quarterback for Jalen Hurts, but has the opportunity to learn behind one of the great offensive minds in the sport in Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore. Though his next opportunity to start may not be with the Eagles, it's a great place to learn for the next stop along his journey.
"(Kenny and I) both know, especially with the quarterbacks now in the NFL, there's a long road if you do it right. The days of being 28 years old and out of the league are over. If you get a second opportunity and take advantage of it, you can turn (that) into another 10 years, eight years, whatever it's going to be."
Though there is plenty of blame on Pickett during his time in Pittsburgh, there is an equal share of blame that belongs to the Steelers for not setting him up to succeed. This is a problem Pickett likely won't face with the Eagles. There is no guarantee that he will see playing time, but if/when that time comes, he will play behind a seasoned offensive line with highly regarded skill position players and a great defense. All the things he would have had in Pittsburgh this year if he weren't traded.
Pickett's Rise And Fall With The Steelers
Pickett, a kid from New Jersey, became the pride and joy of the Steel City after attending the University of Pittsburgh. Following a successful five seasons with the Panthers, finishing as the school's all-time leader in passing yards, completions, total offense, passing touchdowns, and touchdown responsibility, Pickett decided to take his talents to the NFL.
In a weak quarterback class, the Heisman Trophy finalist was selected 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 NFL Draft, with the idea that he would be the franchise's next great quarterback. Despite all the promise surrounding Pickett's NFL career, things never panned out in Pittsburgh. Between inconsistent coaching, poor play on Pickett's end, and fan expectations, feelings began to sour towards a player the city was so proud to keep.
After finishing with a 14-11 record, 4,474 passing yards, and a 13-13 touchdown to interception ratio, the Steelers elected to move on and try again. It's yet to be seen who the winner of the trade between the Eagles and Steelers is, but it'll inevitably pan out to how Pickett bounces back, now that he is in a place that he wanted to play as a kid.
