The Pittsburgh Steelers were put in a weird and unfamiliar spot after the 2021 season came to a close. Ben Roethlisberger had announced his retirement and, for the first time in nearly two decades, the organization had questions about who was going to be the starting quarterback in Week 1 of the following season. The franchise signed Mitch Trubisky in free agency, and the Steelers then selected Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The quarterback was initially loved by fans, mainly due to his tenure at the University Of Pittsburgh.
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Kenny Pickett scores against the New York Jets during the 2022 season while making his NFL debut.
There was a ton of excitement for Pickett to be the next quarterback for the Steelers. He had just finished his final collegiate season with an ACC Championship victory and a trip to New York City as a Heisman Finalist. He was part of a relatively thin quarterback class, and was the first quarterback off the board with the 20th overall pick. Pickett's time with the Steelers did not work out, and the organization decided to trade him to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 offseason.
Pickett grew up as a fan of the Eagles, and he just won Super Bowl LIX with the team. It is safe to say he is happy the trade happened. He joined Pat Bostick on the Panthers Insider Show on Saturday morning, where he spoke about what is was like to see his former team during the 2024 season when the two franchises played in December.
"Yeah, it was great to see everybody." Pickett said. "You develop such strong bonds playing football, especially at this level with how much time gets put into it. You know, during the season, OTAs, training camp, being at Latrobe, being in the dorm rooms. You get really tight with guys, so it was awesome to see everybody. Alex Highsmith is actually down here [in Florida] now, so we're going to hit the golf course."
The Steelers traveled to take on the Eagles in Week 15 of the 2024 season. The eventual Super Bowl champions were able to beat Pittsburgh by a score of 27-13, and this was the contest that began the Steelers' five-game losing streak to end the year. Pickett didn't see the field in the contest, but he was seen catching up with some former teammates ahead of the game.
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Eagles' Kenny Pickett gets ready to throw a football during preseason game in 2024.
Pickett's time in Pittsburgh did not end on the best note. He was unhappy after the organization signed Russell Wilson, which led to him ultimately being traded. The trade worked out for Pickett, and the Steelers haven't gotten any closer to finding their franchise quarterback.
The former Pitt quarterback is certainly on track to becoming a career back-up, and there is nothing wrong with that. Pickett can still see another opportunity elsewhere, as there are a lot of quarterback-needy teams that could look to trade for the Eagle during the 2025 offseason.
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Steelers' former QB Kenny Pickett in his first preseason game with the Philadelphia Eagles after being traded.
Steelers Could See Pickett Start Elsewhere
Due to Philadelphia's offense and defense being two of the best units in the NFL during the second half of the season, Pickett was able to see a decent amount of playing time during blowouts. He was also able to fill in for a concussed Jalen Hurts, as he played the majority of two games and made one start in his absence. Pickett gained a lot of respect and credit for playing through broken ribs in relief of Hurts.
In 2024, Pickett completed about 60 percent of his passes for nearly 300 yards, two touchdowns, and he also scored once with his feet. He may be on the radar for some teams out there that may be in a tough spot. The New Orleans Saints come to mind as a team that is not really in position to select a high-end quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, and their cap situation makes it hard to imagine they can make a move for an expensive quarterback.
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