Kenny Pickett started the offseason fully expecting to be in a battle to retain his starting quarterback position. 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.

However, as free agency got underway, the Steelers made a move to bring in veteran Russell Wilson into the organization at a bargain-basement price. Once that happened, he believed that his days with the Steelers were numbered.

Prior to the Wilson signing, 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 Philadelphia Eagles, but it did not appear that the Steelers got much in return. They were able to move up 22 spots in the third round — going from from selection No. 120 to 98 — and also gain two seventh-round selections.

Pickett was the first quarterback selected in the 2022 draft. The Steelers had taken him with the 20th pick in the first round.

When Kenny Pickett was out last year, Mason Rudolph was inserted to the QB1 position and the Steelers offense surged at that point. Once Pickett was able to return, head coach Mike Tomlin allowed Rudolph to remain under center, and that reportedly irked Pickett.

The former Pittsburgh Panther quarterback appeared to have an ideal chance to establish himself with the Steelers, but that relationship turned out to be short and not very sweet.