Former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett had a stellar training camp and preseason last year, which did not preface a similarly competitive regular season. Since traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, though, he seems back in offseason form on the other side of the state.
According to ESPN reporter Tim McManus, Pickett has been a pleasant surprise so far in Eagles camp. Although described only as “pretty solid”, he noted that the young quarterback “has a bigger arm than I was anticipating. He particularly noted one throw as “a dime down the left sideline somehow dropped over Quinyon Mitchell, who was in tight coverage, and into the arms of Britain Covey”.
Unfortunately, I unearthed no videos of the play, so apologies for that. Presumably, the Eagles have similar policies against recording video of practice the Steelers have.
Of course, none of this signals a quarterback controversy with the Eagles anchored to Jalen Hurts. They nearly won the Super Bowl in 2022 and should be strong contenders yet again this season. But Pickett is the one who requested a trade, and he grew up in Eagles country in New Jersey.
The Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett 20th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft from Pitt. He started 12 games as a rookie. That season, he went 7-5, going 245-for-389 passing for 2,404 yards with 7 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. In 2023, he started the first 12 games with a 7-5 record, going 201-for-324 for 2,070 yards with 6 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He was most noted for his seven game-winning drives, however, despite his mediocre output.
Pickett suffered a high ankle sprain attempting to rush for a touchdown in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals. By the time he was healthy enough to return, Mason Rudolph was playing well and winning games. Head coach Mike Tomlin opted to leave Rudolph in the lineup, leading the team to three victories at year’s end. He fell short in the postseason, but that is equally significant, given Tomlin elected to start him over Pickett.
After the season ended, the Steelers made it clear that they would challenge Pickett for his starting job. They ended up signing Russell Wilson, the presumptive starter for this season, after which Pickett requested a trade. They eventually found a partner in the Philadelphia Eagles, a pick swap helping improve their 2024 draft cache.
Since joining the Eagles, Pickett has acquitted himself well to his new surroundings, though squarely entrenched in a reserve role. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore offered some praise for his new quarterback following practice yesterday.
“He’s smooth, he knows how to operate, he finds completions”, Moore said of Pickett. “He has some sneaky athletic ability where he can get out in space in some of those scramble situations or QB designed runs — he’s done a couple of those, so we feel really fortunate to have Kenny here”.
Currently entrenched behind Hurts, Kenny Pickett has an uphill battle to resume his career as a starter. He felt that he did not have that opportunity with the Steelers, however, so he opted to seek a trade. Now in Philadelphia, he can only put his head down to try to undo the narratives of the past.
