Russell Wilson has apparently won the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ quarterback competition.
The Steelers cleared the quarterback decks on Friday, trading 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Why did Pittsburgh give up on the QB they drafted just two years ago? And what is Philadelphia’s plan for Pickett as he sits behind Jalen Hurts?
Why the Steelers Traded Kenny Pickett to the Eagles
The Steelers didn’t receive much in exchange for Pickett, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Here are the full terms of Friday’s trade:
- Eagles acquire: QB Kenny Pickett, 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 120)
- Steelers acquire: 2024 third-round pick (No. 98) and two 2025 seventh-round picks
Pittsburgh will move up 22 spots on Day 2 of April’s draft while adding two future seventh-rounders (choices typically viewed as filler in trades) in exchange for Pickett, whom it selected with the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
That minuscule return — similar to the package the Washington Commanders received for QB Sam Howell on Thursday — shows just how far Pickett had fallen in the eyes of Steelers brass.
The #Steelers are trading QB Kenny Pickett to the #Eagles. 😳
No competition in Pittsburgh.#FlyEaglesFly | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/zRl1sqw31G
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) March 15, 2024
Pickett took over at halftime of Week 4 during his rookie campaign and remained Pittsburgh’s starter until suffering a knee injury in December 2023. The Steelers turned to Mitchell Trubisky before settling on Mason Rudolph, who remained the starter even once Pickett was healthy enough to play.
While Pickett denied reports he refused to dress as Pittsburgh’s emergency third QB in Week 17, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette indicated on Friday that Pickett’s failure to suit up and poor demeanor was part of the reason for today’s trade.
Pickett’s attitude upon Wilson’s Steelers arrival was also poorly received, per Dulac. While Pickett had initially suggested to the team’s decision-makers that he was willing to compete for a starting job, his attitude changed once Pittsburgh added Wilson, as Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported.
The Steelers never intended to stage a quarterback battle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who notes Wilson was signed to be the club’s starting QB.
Kenny Pickett Contract Details
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman coined the phrase “quarterback factory” to describe Philadelphia’s desire to have a never-ending supply of available signal-callers ready to step in or provide trade value.
That approach landed the Eagles Jalen Hurts in the 2020 NFL Draft when the club still had Carson Wentz ensconced as a starter. While Pickett doesn’t look like the next Hurts, he’s an affordable option at QB2 for a Philadelphia squad that saw last year’s backup, Marcus Mariota, sign with the Washington Commanders this week.
The Eagles will acquire Pickett on a two-year, fully guaranteed, $4.607 million contract. It’s a ridiculously cheap price for a backup quarterback, especially when veteran QB2s like Taylor Heinicke earn $7 million annually.
Philadelphia will hold a fifth-year option on Pickett’s contract for the 2026 campaign. Roseman and Co. must decide to exercise or decline that option by May 2025. That option will likely be worth roughly $25 million, so the Eagles won’t pick it up unless Pickett miraculously enters the starting lineup and thrives.
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Meanwhile, the Steelers will take on $3.706 million in dead money by trading Pickett. His prorated signing bonus money from 2024 and 2025 will immediately accelerate onto Pittsburgh’s salary cap.
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