Former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett, now with the Browns, spent nearly his entire time in Pittsburgh during the Canada era. Under Matt Canada, the offense suffered so much that the Steelers actually fired a coach midseason, a first in generations. That’s simply not something the Steelers do, but they felt they had to do it.
Unfortunately for Pickett, he suffered an injury shortly thereafter and never got back on the field. Mason Rudolph ultimately stepped in and played well, and Mike Tomlin chose to ride the hot hand. During the offseason, as the Steelers pursued Russell Wilson, Kenny Pickett requested a trade.
Two teams later, he is now in Cleveland, with one more Super Bowl ring than the Steelers have in nearly two decades. Kenny Pickett “earned” a ring with the Eagles last season as a backup to Jalen Hurts, though he played some. Still, he believes he learned a good deal there and wants to further his development with the Browns.
“Continuing to work in the pocket’s been really good for me. Having a chance in Philly to do it, working with the coaches here, continuing to get better there”, Kenny Pickett said yesterday, speaking to Browns media.
Evidently commenting on his time with the Steelers, Pickett said, “It felt like late in games, I found ways to win games, which was always good to see. But continuing to grow as a quarterback in the system. You have to be in a system for a couple years to really grow. I’m hoping I can have that here where you just build a foundation with something and grow with it.”
In context, Pickett fielded a question about reflecting on his career and what gave him reason to believe that he still has the ability to improve. The implication is, of course, that he lacked the framework necessary for him to develop previously.
Specifically, the charge is that the Steelers did not sufficiently foster Pickett’s growth, which—fair, perhaps. He did play under one of the worst offensive coordinators in history and some pretty shabby offensive line play. The Steelers showed what they thought of Najee Harris when they let him walk in free agency. Meanwhile, over the past two years, they traded Pickett’s former top two wide receivers.
Indeed, the Steelers’ offense looks very different from the last time Kenny Pickett took the field. The only starters remaining who played with Pickett are Pat Freiermuth, Isaac Seumalo, Broderick Jones, Calvin Austin III, and Jaylen Warren.
Meanwhile, the Browns have more quarterbacks than they can carry after drafting two of them. Unless they waive or trade Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, Kenny Pickett is battling Joe Flacco for a job. At this point, the Steelers’ first-round pick can fall anywhere between starter and unemployed by September. There’s only so much his private quarterback coach can do, so he better make sure this job sticks.
