The Pittsburgh Steelers’ future changed dramatically when they signed QB Russell Wilson, leading to the chain reaction of Kenny Pickett requesting a trade. The Steelers drafted Pickett in the first round in 2022, and they just flipped him for a mid-round pick swap going into his third season. This seemingly happened on Pickett’s behest rather than Pittsburgh—they wanted him here until he didn’t want to be here.
Much to the chagrin of Pitt alum Louis Riddick, who spoke of his disappointment on 93.7 The Fan. “I would’ve liked to have seen [Kenny Pickett] stay there and compete,” he said. “But you know how players get. You know how we get when we feel as though we have earned the benefit of the doubt,” he added, referring to the unfavorable circumstances under which he played, i.e. offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
“I think we all know that Kenny probably wasn’t structurally…given the best chance to succeed,” Riddick said. “We know that. And when they did make the change and Pittsburgh went and played in Cincinnati with different people in his ear, he seemed to be someone who looked much more comfortable, played with a lot more confidence. Then he gets injured, and he’s not able to capitalize and continue to build on that.”
The Steelers fired Canada leading up to that game against the Bengals, and Pickett played better. The eye test revealed more about how he played than his raw statistics might indicate. Midway through the next game, he suffered a high ankle sprain as he dove for the goal line. He watched from the sidelines for the rest of the season, including after the team cleared him medically.
Since then, they hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, though they haven’t done much else yet on offense. In fact, they traded WR Diontae Johnson and released WR Allen Robinson II, replacing him with journeyman receivers. They also signed RB Cordarrelle Patterson as a kick returner and TE/H-back MyCole Pruitt, who has to earn a spot.
However, they’re expected to heavily invest in the offense in the 2024 NFL Draft, potentially adding three players through the third round. They’re likely to draft a tackle, center, and wide receiver by then, but they may have to rely on rookie starters. They have had mixed success with rookie starters, some taking longer to play than others. Three rookies started last season, though not right away. Four if you include Darnell Washington as the second tight end.
“I think there’s no question he could have stood to benefit from all of that continuous buildout and improvement,” Riddick said of Pickett with the direction of the Steelers’ offense. “And it’s a shame that he’s now not here to be able to take advantage of it. Now, Kenny sounds like he didn’t really like the situation from his perspective”, he added, referring to the perception that he wouldn’t get a fair shot to compete for the starting job with Russell Wilson.
Of course, all of that is water under the bridge at this point. The Steelers completely turned over their quarterback room from last season, subsequently adding Justin Field and Kyle Allen. They’re moving on; Pickett is moving on. But how does each party fare down the line?
