Former Steelers First-Round Pick Kenny Pickett On The Verge Of Sliding Down The Depth Chart In Philadelphia

The Pittsburgh Steelers and fans of the organization once had a lot of excitement for Kenny Pickett after the organization selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. It seemed like he would have a promising career in Pittsburgh after improving throughout his rookie season, but things fell apart during his second year. The offense was stagnant for most of the year, and Pickett had clear struggles with accuracy and his pocket presence. Eventually, Pickett was injured and eventually lost his starting job to Mason Rudolph.

Pickett's relationship with the organization seemed to become pretty fractured as the rest of the season went on, and then again when the team signed Russell Wilson. Eventually, he was traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles after essentially refusing to partake in a quarterback competition with Wilson. Now, he is a certainly a backup, but he might even slide further down the depth chart in Philadelphia according to Eagles reporter Eliot Shorr-Parks.

Jalen Hurts is the unquestioned starter with the Eagles as he is their franchise quarterback. When Pickett was initially traded to the other side of Pennsylvania, it was assumed by many that he would be the backup right behind Hurts. After training camp has gotten underway for the Eagles, it seems as though Tanner McKee might hop over Pickett on the depth chart.

Pickett has had his good moments in the NFL, he was notorious for making comebacks with the Steelers and playing well in the fourth quarter. But overall, he has not lived up to his first round label whatsoever. Now, if he can't stake claim to a backup job over a quarterback who has never played in an NFL game, there might be some issues. Pickett could be looking at being out of the league soon, or not even getting a second contract.

McKee is entering his second season in the NFL, and he was the Eagles sixth round pick in the 2023 draft. During the 2023 season, he was Philadelphia's third-string quarterback while Marcus Mariota was the primary backup. Despite not playing in any games, McKee still has had the opportunity to grow chemistry with his receivers over the last year, while Pickett is getting familiar with the new team.

As of now, Pickett is still in position to be the primary backup to Hurts. However, he has shown some struggles while McKee has stayed steady. Preseason games will say a lot when it comes to the two backups, but there is no reason Pickett shouldn't be able to win this job. 

Steelers Ex-Quarterback Loves His New Home Across The State

Pickett had multiple instances of refusing to be a backup during his time with the Steelers. Towards the end of the 2023 season, while Pickett was hurt, Rudolph filled in for him and played extremely well. He earned the job for the rest of the season, and when Pickett returned to full health, he wasn't happy with playing behind Rudolph.

The same thing happened when Pittsburgh signed Wilson, Pickett didn't want to have to compete for the starting job. He instead wanted out of Pittsburgh, and got shipped to a place where he has no chance of starting. It doesn't make sense, as the quarterback would have had a better chance to play in Pittsburgh. Despite being a backup, Pickett is happy with where he is and has said that change is a good thing.

What do you think of Pickett struggling to become Philadelphia's backup? Let us know in the comments below!

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