Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett may never have played with Arizona Cardinals and former Steelers RB James Conner at the University of Pittsburgh, but the two men share a connection with their alma mater. With the two set to square off as opponents on Sunday when the Cardinals come to Acrisure Stadium, Pickett said he wants to swap jerseys with Conner.
“He’s a great dude and an inspiration to so many people in this city,” Pickett said after practice Friday. “Definitely gonna get a jersey swap with ‘6’ when I get done with that game,” Pickett told Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
While the two never played together, they knew each other from the facility, with Pickett coming in as a freshman and Conner training to enter the NFL Draft. Conner overcame a diagnosis of Hodgkin Lymphoma during his time at Pitt and was able to return to the football field after undergoing treatments, and then became a third-round pick by Pittsburgh. He’s someone who’s looked fondly upon in Pittsburgh and really across the country for his resilience and everything he’s done for the city of Pittsburgh.
Conner’s story is captivating, and the fact that he’s been able to have such a long NFL career is awesome to see. He spent the first four seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, running for 2,302 yards in 50 games and 33 starts for the team. He’s now in his third season with Arizona, and he’s started 27 games for the Cardinals. He’s having a solid 2023 season, with 104 carries for 526 yards and two touchdowns.
Conner and Pickett also both share the experience of going to Pitt and then ending up getting drafted by the Steelers, which helps extend and deepen their relationship with the fanbase. For Conner, it’s going to be his first trip back to Pittsburgh for a game since he signed with Arizona before the 2021 season. He talked about how appreciative he is for the Steelers taking a chance on him and the love that he feels from the fanbase. He also called Pickett a friend.
“Kenny Pickett over there, I didn’t get a chance to play with him at Pitt, but still a good friend,” Conner said in his press conference earlier this week.
It’s going to be fun to watch Conner out on the field Sunday, and he’ll have a new game-worn Kenny Pickett jersey if he wants it after the game on Sunday. Pickett will have a jersey from Conner, one of the first people he got to know on the Pitt campus, and someone whom he shares a connection with even though they never truly lined up together as teammates.
