The Kenny Pickett era with the Pittsburgh Steelers lasted just two seasons before an unceremonious end over the weekend.
After the Steelers signed nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson, Pickett reportedly requested a trade from the team that drafted him. Pittsburgh chose to honor that request by sending the Pitt product to the Philadelphia Eagles for a mid-round pick swap. Following his removal from the team, reports came forth detailing the young quarterback’s disappointment in competing with Wilson for the starting quarterback role.
Now with the Eagles, Pickett has had a chance to address those rumors and concerns against his character.
Kenny Pickett Clears Air on Steelers Exit
Despite the recent rumors surrounding his trade from Pittsburgh, Pickett made sure to state that everything was in the past during his opening press conference as the Eagles’ new backup quarterback.
“I thought it was time,” Pickett said. “It felt like it was time with things that had transpired; I wanted to get a chance to go somewhere else and continue to grow my career. The fact that it was Philly … it’s an awesome opportunity to join this team.”
Pickett grew up an Eagles fan as an Ocean Township native of New Jersey. He cited several former Eagles that had walked the halls of the NovaCare Complex that he grew up idolizing. Despite the positivity that comes from being back home, the former Steeler also understands that there was more going on than what has been reported recently.
“I think the communication is what it is,” Pickett explained. “I’m confident with the way I handled it, the way I should’ve handled it. I think everything happens for a reason and I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
Previous reports stated that Pickett was originally told he would have to compete for his starting job but that the reps would be split evenly with whatever quarterback was brought in. Once the quarterback ended up being Wilson, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin changed his tune, saying that it would still be a competition but that the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback would start with the first team in practice.
That change-up impacted Pickett in a way, although he did not openly state the specifics of the conversations, that allowed him to look for alternative organizations to continue playing football. It wasn’t the first time the young signal-caller had had issues with inaccurate reports.
“I think it goes back to the communication behind closed doors that didn’t go the way they went with how it was getting released,” Pickett said of a previous report from the 2023 season that stated he was unwilling to be the third-team quarterback late in the year. “There was a plan for that game, it went down exactly how it was expected to go down, but it is what it is.”
Pickett is 14-10 as a starting quarterback but has completed under 63% of his passes while throwing a 13:13 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Pittsburgh was able to reach the playoffs in 2023 thanks to the heroics of Mason Rudolph after Pickett went down with an ankle injury.
Now, after just two years together, the Steelers and their former first-round pick have decided to part ways. As for the Eagles, they get the backup quarterback they want, one looking for a fresh start and highly motivated to help the team in 2024.
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