Before being dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles, Kenny Pickett started the offseason fully expecting to be in a battle to retain his starting quarterback position with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While he had struggled most of his second year and then battled injuries, it seemed fairly clear that he would at least get a chance to show what he could do under center in his third NFL season.
Prior to the Steelers signing Russell Wilson, Pickett was scheduled to have a workout with several of his receivers at an out-of-town location. However, he canceled that workout after the Wilson signing.
The Steelers responded by trading Pickett to the Eagles, but it did not appear that Pittsburgh got much in return. They were able to move up 22 spots in the third round — going from selection No. 120 to 98 — and also gain a pair of seventh-round selections from the Eagles.
Now the newest Eagles quarterback is breaking his silence on the beef, per Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network:
“Reporter: What happened between you and the Steelers before/after the Russell Wilson signing? Kenny Pickett: I think the communication is what it is. It was behind closed doors. I'm confident with the way I handled it.”
It wasn't necessarily surprising that Pickett was put on the trade block at all; it was him going to the Eagles that was surprising. Most suspected after Russell Wilson signed with the Steelers that Pickett could be traded. Then, after word got out about Pickett's attitude toward the whole situation involving Wilson's signing, it made even more sense.
With Marcus Mariota once again on the move, this time to the Washington Commanders, it left the Eagles without a backup quarterback outside Tanner McKee. McKee was a sixth-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but didn't play a single snap last season for the Eagles. Philadelphia definitely needed a QB2 after Mariota's departure.
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