There are no rookie draft picks from the 2022 NFL Draft that remain unsigned now, as Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Kenny Pickett officially signed his four-year rookie contract Thursday, which includes a fifth-year option as a first-round pick, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Pickett was the last remaining rookie in the 2022 draft that was unsigned as of Wednesday night after New England Patriots’ first-round pick Cole Strange signed his deal.
As Steelers Depot’s Dave Bryan wrote yesterday for the site, there were concerns and general speculations regarding Pickett’s rookie contract and why he had yet to sign, especially considering the rookie contracts are slotted. Therefore, the holdup in Pickett becoming the last rookie to sign wasn’t about the former Pitt star wanting more money.
The total slotted value of Pickett’s four-year rookie deal should be $14,067,904 and his signing bonus should be $7,411,203. Additionally, Pickett’s full contract will be fully guaranteed, according to Bryan’s previous writing.
Now that Pickett is officially signed, the next step in his rookie process begins with training camp in late July and early August at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, where the No. 20 overall pick will battle with Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph for the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh.
With a four-year deal in his pocket that’s fully guaranteed, and a nice chunk of change as a signing bonus now behind him — along with speculation and concerns regarding his non-signing — Pickett can now focus on football, which is likely what he wanted to do the entire time.
