Steelers' Art Rooney II Sheds Light On The Failure Of Drafting Kenny Pickett: "It's Disappointing"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a big question that will need to be answered at some point during the 2025 offseason, and that is who the starting quarterback will be in 2025. It has become clear that the organization intends to sign either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, but it is unlikely both quarterbacks are brought back on a new deal. Each player played well at times in 2024, but neither option should make fans too optimistic. The search for a new offensive leader all began after Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season, and the organization selected Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Pickett was held to high standards as he came into Pittsburgh to replace Roethlisberger, and ultimately the relationship between the young quarterback and the organization did not work out. He showed flashes throughout his two season with the Steelers, but he struggled to remain consistent and had issues with injuries. Had he worked out for the Steelers the team would not be facing the quarterback dilemma it currently is, and Team President Art Rooney II expressed extreme disappointment in that fact when speaking with the media on Monday.

Pickett's last season in Pittsburgh was in 2022, and he suffered an ankle injury that caused him to miss considerable time in the second half of the season. This led to Mason Rudolph taking over the job, and he played well enough to retain the starting role through the end of the year. Many fans probably did not expect that they would never see Pickett in the black and gold again, but that was the case as he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 offseason.

Pickett's performance never quite lived up to his first-round label, and it was clear the offense needed some spark at the position moving forward. The team went out and signed Wilson early on in free agency, and it became clear that there would be a competition between the veteran and Pickett. This didn't sit well with Pickett, and he eventually asked his way out of Pittsburgh.

Inevitably, drafting Pickett set the Steelers back a couple of years. When any organization misses on a first-round quarterback it presents serious issues. The Steelers quarterback problem still remains to be solved, and the franchise could look to select another quarterback during the 2025 Draft. It should be assumed that any rookie that is brought in would be behind either Wilson or Fields on the depth chart. Hopefully the Steelers are able to make the right decision this time around as it is hard to compete in the NFL without a top-tier quarterback.

Steelers Never Really Gave Kenny Pickett A Shot To Succeed

The Steelers offense was putrid during both of the seasons Pickett was in Pittsburgh. Some of that has to do with having a young quarterback, but a lot of the issue came with former Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada. Canada was fired in the middle of the 2023 season after having two subpar years in 2021 and 2022. It was clear Canada's offense was not effective during Pickett's rookie season in 2022, yet the organization kept him around for another year.

This certainly hurt the development of Pickett, as the franchise could have fired Canada and brought in a new offensive coordinator during the 2023 offseason. Instead, the organization let him hang around. Pickett looked more comfortable in the games after Canada's firing, but he soon after injured his ankle and never played another down for Pittsburgh.

What do you think about Rooney's comments on Pickett? Let us know in the comments below!

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