The Pittsburgh Steelers rarely admit mistakes as an organization. Typically, the franchise lets bad decisions linger. It's the reason Matt Canada was in Pittsburgh for as long as he was. Things are different under third year General Manager Omar Khan, as he quickly cut ties with former first-round pick Kenny Pickett. Pickett underperformed with the Steelers. He struggled with injuries, and Khan had an opportunity to upgrade the position so he traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.
There are many different stories about what happened inside the building between Pickett and the organization during the 2024 offseason. He was still on the roster when the team signed Russell Wilson, but seemed to refuse to want to compete for the starting job. He asked for a trade shortly after. Pittsburgh then traded for Justin Fields to fill the empty roster spot, which completely revamped the quarterback room. Insider Ray Fittipaldo went on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday and gave some insight into the falling out between the two sides.
"It definitely does depend on who you're talking to within that organization. [There are some] who will have Kenny's back, and they'll tell you, 'Yeah, there were other people in that building who were talking bad about him', I don't know if I want to go as far as character assassination, but the Steelers definitely got their word out there pretty quickly on what they wanted the narrative to be."
Pickett was given a bad reputation after his time in Pittsburgh. He has accomplished virtually nothing in the NFL, but was refusing to participate in a position competition with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Pair this with the rumors about how Pickett handled not starting at the end of the 2023 season, and the third-year quarterback is looked at as a bad teammate.
When Pickett got hurt during the Steelers contest against the Arizona Cardinals and it was ruled he would miss some time, the Steelers had to rely on the backups. Mitch Trubisky didn't perform well, but Mason Rudolph emerged and helped the Steelers make the playoffs. Once Pickett got fully healthy, Rudolph remained the starter. It was rumored Pickett refused to be the backup quarterback, again showing a sense of entitlement. Fittipaldo spoke more about Pickett handling certain situations poorly.
"There are still some people in that building that believe Kenny [Pickett] was better than what he was, in terms of how he handled himself on that exit. Then you talk to other people and they'll swear up and down that Kenny handled the whole thing poorly. Honestly, it just depends on which source you want to talk to inside that building."
Obviously, the perspective of how Pickett handled himself in Pittsburgh is a bit skewed depending on who you ask. His personal quarterback coach, Tony Racioppi, has been very outspoken since Pickett's departure. He is certain the Steelers painted Pickett in a bad light, and that the majority of the recounts of the situation are completely false.
Steelers Are In A Better Spot Without Pickett
Pittsburgh is bound to see an upgrade in performance at quarterback during the 2024 season, whether it's from Wilson or Fields. Pickett and the offense really struggled in 2023, and were often the most stagnant offense in the league. A lot of Pickett's poor play can be attributed to having the worst offensive coordinator in the NFL, but he is also at fault for his own shortcomings.
Pickett is now a solidified backup in Philadelphia. He is projected to become the quarterback directly behind Jalen Hurts. Pickett's chances of playing seem slim, as Hurts is about to enter the first year of his five-year contract extension that he signed in 2023. Pickett needed a change of scenery, and he now gets to play for the team he grew up rooting for. He was a bust in Pittsburgh, but at least Khan wasted no time in admitting that.
