A new team for QB Kenny Pickett means a new jersey number. After wearing No. 8 throughout his time on the western side of Pennsylvania, in college with the Pitt Panthers and his two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickett is subtracting one from his new jersey. He will wear No. 7 for the Philadelphia Eagles, according to the @nfl_jersey_num Twitter account.
That account accurately listed all of the new Steeler’s jersey numbers, including QB Justin Fields No. 2, disputing previous reports he would wear No. 5. As the account notes, No. 7 opened up when the Eagles recently dealt EDGE rusher Hassan Reddick to the New York Jets.
Pittsburgh traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles last month, the same day they officially signed QB Russell Wilson to a one-year contract. Reportedly, Pickett was unhappy with Wilson being in “pole position” on the Steelers’ depth chart ahead of him and requested a trade. The Steelers obliged, sending him out east and close to his home state of New Jersey, now just 90 minutes away from where he grew up.
Kenny Pickett will serve as QB Jalen Hurts’ backup. Hurts appeared in all 17 games a year ago with then-backup Marcus Mariota throwing just 23 passes all season. It’ll be the first time in a long time and perhaps ever Pickett wore No. 7. He wore No. 8 with the Steelers and Panthers and had No. 2 in high school.
The Steelers’ quarterback depth chart looks radically different. Wilson will enter the spring and summer as the team’s starter with Fields as the backup and journeyman Kyle Allen as the third-string quarterback. Wilson will keep his No. 3 jersey while Fields switched to No. 1, the Steelers disallowing players from sporting No. 1. Fields had worn one since high school but is making the switch to No. 2, previously worn by QB Mason Rudolph. Rudolph signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
