Ex-Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Strong At Eagles OTA's Reportedly Outperforming Jalen Hurts

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't have to worry about the quarterback position for nearly two decades until Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. Following the legend's hanging up of the cleats, some may say that the franchise panicked by selecting University of Pittsburgh product Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Those believing that had their opinions validated once the organization traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles early in the 2024 offseason. No one will ever know if he could have become the franchise signal-caller in the Steel City, but he sure was a waste of a first-round pick.

It was extremely unfortunate that Pickett couldn't emerge as the unquestioned starter for the Steelers. The coaching staff tried to get the best out of him, but a mix of Matt Canada and Pickett's poor decision-making ended up destroying what could have been. Paul Zeise, a columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, found a social media post about Pickett out-performing Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during the Philadelphia's Organized Team Activities.

Zeise certainly made light of the situation, as he normally does, but it is intriguing that an Eagles writer, Ed Kracz wanted to make a point of Pickett looking better than ever. Kracz specifically writing that the Eagles can still win games if Hurts goes down leads one to think that Pickett thinks that he excel in an offense that doesn't necessarily fit his strengths.

It's very hard to believe that Pickett could perform at an increasingly higher level than he did with the Steelers, especially as a back-up, but OTAs always given certain players an opportunity to step in and showcase their talents. 

Pickett showed flashes with the Steelers, especially at the latter half of in his rookie season. The quarterback led the team to more than one late-game comeback and followed it up with an exciting preseason in 2023. Unfortunately, injuries and overall inconsistent play led to the organization turning against him.

Russell Wilson was brought in which ultimately led to Pickett being traded. Then, Pittsburgh acquired Justin Fields to further a clear opinion inside the building that the quarterback room needed to be updated.

Pickett had a forgettable stat line with the Steelers, throwing only 13 touchdowns with the same amount of interceptions in 24 starts. The franchise clearly decided that brining in a veteran and young play-maker was more intriguing than a 2022 first-round pick that never was able to prove that he could be the starter for the next decade or more.

Steelers Better Off With Quarterback Situation In 2024 Compared To Recent Years

Franchise quarterbacks are very hard to come by. Pittsburgh was spoiled with Roethlisberger from the 2004 to 2021 seasons. The excitement surrounding Pickett was real, but General Manager Omar Khan deserves his props for moving on from the under-performing signal-caller. Questions remain unanswered about what actually went on, but fans in the Steel City aren't likely to lose sleep over the fact that Pickett had a solid practice session with the Eagles. 

Pittsburgh knows better than to hype him up after the 2023 preseason had everyone believing that he was going to have an incredible second year, only to be let down by injuries and poor play.

Do you think that Pickett could end up being a dominant starting quarterback in the NFL? Let us know in the comments below!

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