New Details Suggest Kenny Pickett Immediately Regretted Requesting A Trade From Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been stuck in quarterback purgatory pretty much every year since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 campaign. The organization tried to go for the immediate fix during the 2022 NFL Draft, selecting Kenny Pickett in the first round. Unfortunately for all parties involved, the relationship did not blossom like anyone had hoped it would. The first two years of his career saw him deal with some injuries and overall struggles. Following the 2023 season, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles upon his request after the front office in the Steel City decided to sign Russell Wilson to a contract.

It's safe to say that a lot of the decisions made — including the one to bring Wilson in — haven't exactly worked out for the Steelers. That is why there is still no long-term answer at the most important position in all of sports as 2026 training camp gets set to begin. It is something that needs to be figured out, but it's now clear that Pickett was never going to be the answer anyway.

He has spent time with the Cleveland Browns following the Eagles trading him away, the Las Vegas Raiders after that; and, now, the journeyman is set to be the Carolina Panthers' backup signal-caller behind Bryce Young. He truly has been all over the place, and it appears as if he may be regretting the decision to ask for a trade in Pittsburgh altogether.

During a recent interview, Pickett's former collegiate head coach, Pat Narduzzi, spoke a lot about the quarterback and how he had to really force himself out of Philadelphia because of how much he didn't want to be there.

"The Eagles did not want to trade him," Narduzzi said. "He begged to be traded because he wanted to compete, and he felt like he wasn't going to have a chance to beat out Jalen Hurts."

Overall, Pickett's original desire to leave the Steelers has backfired based on his career path since. He did win a Super Bowl with the Eagles, but then immediately wanted to get out of the building simply because he was still on a rookie contract and didn't feel as if he would even have a chance to start. Remaining in Pittsburgh could have led to a backup role; however, that would have given him time to learn and grow, while still potentially holding the reins for the future.

This is some new information that has come to the surface and it is being said by a pretty reliable source who remains close to Pickett. It has to make fans wonder how the quarterback feels about the entire thing. He could have sat behind Wilson for what may have not even been a full year, and ended up convincing everyone he had what it takes to be the guy. Additionally, Wilson suffered a calf injury in training camp back in 2024, which led to Justin Fields starting the first six games.

"I think there [are] some misconceptions about it," Narduzzi stated. "'They just got rid of him.' No, they wanted him to stay, and they said, 'We're not trading you', and he begged, and they said, 'If it is good for us, we'll trade you. But, if it's not good for us, we're not making the move.'"

Young had had a bit of a career resurgence with the Panthers, so Pickett has to be hoping that he will experience the same. While a starting role might not be in the cards at this point, continuing to learn and grow is certainly on the table with head coach Dave Canales.

Steelers Fans Will Always Question 2022 NFL Draft

While the argument can be made that selecting Pickett in the first round was the right move, there sure is no evidence to prove that. Additionally, there is not a single draftee from that class that remains on Pittsburgh's roster. A lot of criticism should be thrown in the direction of the previous front office, but it also appears that Pickett might regret forcing his way out in the first place.

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