CLEVELAND, OHIO – NOVEMBER 19: Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on in the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Kenny Pickett had some rather interesting social media activity following news that he was headed to Philadelphia.
In one of the biggest stunners of the offseason thus far, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles just days after signing Russell Wilson to a one-year contract. Philly received Pickett and the No. 120 pick from Pittsburgh in exchange for the No. 98 selection and two seventh-round picks.
After the trade, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Pickett requested a trade after being told that Wilson would receive first team reps. Several fans on X/Twitter noticed that Pickett even “liked” Pelissero’s post:
So after a lackluster two-year stint in the Steel City, Pickett will instead back up one of the league’s top quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts. As for Wilson, the 35-year-old and nine-time Pro Bowler is now the undisputed QB1 in Pittsburgh with no legitimate competition behind him at this time.
Kenny Pickett Had Two Disappointing Seasons In Pittsburgh
Pickett was widely viewed as the long-term answer in Pittsburgh when they drafted him 20th overall in 2022, months after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.
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But Pickett was unable to find his potential in Steel City, going 14-10-0 over his two seasons as the starting QB.. He threw for 4,474 yards and 13 touchdowns against 13 interceptions for a mediocre passer rating of 78.8.
Third-stringer Mason Rudolph, not Pickett nor QB2 Mitch Trubisky, saved the Steelers by rallying them to three straight wins to close out the 2023 season that secured a wild card berth. Rudolph had three touchdowns and zero interceptions in those games.
The Steelers have been traditionally patient with their first-round picks, even if they got off to slow starts. So trading Pickett after just two years was rather surprising, but GM Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin obviously didn’t have much of a choice given Pickett’s trade request.
