With Kenny Pickett being traded away, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved on from a local product who was beloved by the city for his time spent at the University of Pittsburgh. His final season there in 2021, he led the Panthers to their first 11-win season since 1981 when Dan Marino was the quarterback. Naturally, many had hoped the Steelers didn’t make the same mistake twice after passing on Marino when they drafted Pickett, but just two years later he is off the team.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi was asked about the Pickett trade during his post-practice media session on Tuesday.
“Hey, it’s business, right? Business for everybody,” Narduzzi said in a video of the press conference posted by Panther Lair on YouTube. “Business for the Steelers and business for Kenny, and it’s business as usual…It’s part of business, that’s why they call it free agency. I’m happy for Kenny, I’m happy for the Steelers. I think things happen for a reason, and the first thing I think about Kenny is just being back home.
“It’s like the NFL transfer portal.”
Narduzzi also stated that he has spoken to Pickett since the trade and that he is “doing great.”
Narduzzi is a big believer in Pickett. Just last offseason, he heaped praise on him and said there is no doubt he will lead the Steelers to a seventh Lombardi Trophy at some point in his career. That obviously isn’t in the cards as he was traded in a pick swap with the Philadelphia Eagles after reportedly requesting his way out of town. Those reports indicate he was not pleased with the addition of Russell Wilson and felt misled about the nature of the quarterback competition.
Given that the Steelers and the Panthers share a facility, Pickett will likely be spotted back in Pittsburgh at times. He and Narduzzi remain close, but with the way things ended between him and the Steelers, I don’t think he will be keeping much contact with the organization. He didn’t even mention the Steelers in his farewell post to the city.
