Kenny Pickett had a very short tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite being a first-round pick. After two rough years for both parties, the team traded him away to the Philadelphia Eagles while completely overhauling the quarterback position. He did win a Super Bowl in his lone season there, but it was as a backup. He then got traded away once again. He got sent back to the AFC North in a quarterback swap with the Cleveland Browns, so now he could face his former team twice, and potentially not sit on the bench for either game.
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Quarterback Kenny Pickett gets sacked during a Pittsburgh Steelers' game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
After returning to his alma mater, Pickett spoke with Jerry DiPaola of TribLive. He spoke a lot about his college days, bur he was asked about his future, including the chance to be the full-time starter again.
“That’s the plan, man. I’m not going there to hang out,” Pickett explained. “I want to go play. I’m excited, been working hard for it, taking it a day at a time.”
Even though the Browns are still paying Deshaun Watson a lot of money, he re-tore his Achilles, and no one knows if/when he will be ready to play. That was likely a big reason why the Browns made the move to acquire Pickett: to get a younger quarterback that still has something to prove, and they did so for a very small price.
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Joe Flacco throwing a pass while playing for the Cleveland Browns in 2023.
They recently signed Joe Flacco to compete with the former Steeler, but in the end, the job is still Pickett's to lose. He even had a different approach with the team bringing in Flacco than when the Steelers tried to make a similar move.
"I’ve heard nothing but great things about Joe,” Pickett said. “I’ve been watching him since I was 10 years old. Total respect for Joe, what he’s done and I’m excited to get to work with him, too.”
The thing that caused Pickett to get traded away from Pittsburgh in the first place was his negative reaction to the Steelers signing competition for him. Russell Wilson was as cheap of competition as any team could find, but that still reportedly angered the former first-round pick, and he was shipped off to a place where he would have no chance of winning the starting job.
Pickett had to change his attitude if he ever wanted a chance to start again, and that's what he has done. He clearly still has no plans of backing anyone up, but he has the chance to earn his job again. However, he will be in competition with more than just an 18-year veteran.
The Browns are set up well in the draft after yet another horrible season. With the lack of stability in their quarterback room, they could easily select a passer early in the draft, whether it's with the second overall pick, their second-rounder, or some sort of trade. Pickett once competed against a former draft bust as a rookie, and now he is the bust looking to revive his career against a rookie.
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Former Ole Miss Quarterback Jaxson Dart During A Collegiate Game
Will The Steelers' Trash Be Browns' Treasure?
There are questions surrounding Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, including his ability to develop a young quarterback. He has had a few opportunities to bring in some untapped potential via the draft, free agency and trades and turn them into capable starters. but none of them have panned out.
Meanwhile, Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski helped develop Baker Mayfield before his shoulder injury hindered him, then ownership forced him into a horrible situation. Cleveland has not had many shining moments while acting as Pittsburgh's little brother, but if they can take Pickett and turn him into what Tomlin hoped he'd be, that would be a crucial victory for the Browns before they play a game against each other in 2025.
What do you think about Pickett being the starting quarterback for the Browns? Can he develop under an offensive-minded head coach? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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