The Philadelphia Eagles bolstered their quarterback depth during the 2024 NFL free agency period. Philadelphia brought in former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett to support star QB Jalen Hurts. Head Coach Nick Sirianni gave his thoughts on Pickett amid his arrival.
Sirianni recognizes that Jalen Hurts is QB1, but he believes that Pickett will be a great supportive addition.
“I'm really excited about the things he can do. I'm excited that we have a piece in place there. But his job is to be a backup, and his job is to support Jalen and help him in any way that he can and be ready to play if needs to play,” Sirianni said, per The Athletic's Brooks Kubena.
Nick Sirianni has reason to be excited. Kenny Pickett had a respectable run with Pittsburgh, and hopefully, his sound production will seamlessly translate to Philadelphia.
A coveted quarterback core
Kenny Pickett started his professional career with the Steelers when the team selected him with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The former Pittsburgh standout had a promising rookie year. He threw for 2,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games.
Pickett's stats slightly decreased in 2023-24, but he played one less game. The 25-year-old amassed 2,070 yards and six TDs. Now, he looks to provide support to one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Jalen Hurts is entering his fifth season in the league, and his improvement and leadership over the years have Eagles fans ecstatic. The former Oklahoma Sooner joined Philly after being selected as the 53rd pick in the second round of the 2020 Draft.
During his rookie season, Hurts threw for 1,061 yards and six TDs in 15 games. However, he took a leap that changed the Eagles' fate.
Hurts jumped to 3,144 yards and 16 TDs for his sophomore season and ascended to an even higher level the following year. He improved to 3,701 yards and 22 TDs in 2022-23, and thus, earned his first Pro Bowl Honor. Furthermore, Hurts' contributions helped the Eagles advance to Super Bowl 57.
Unfortunately, Philadelphia lost 38-35 to Patrick Mahomes and a fiery Kansas City Chiefs team. Nevertheless, Hurts came back stronger a year later. The star QB comes off career-highs of 3,858 yards and 15 TDs in 2023-24.
Hurts' and Philly's season did not end the way they wanted, but there is reason for excitement.
Eagles look to avenge their 2023-24 season
Philadelphia finished the regular season with a record of 11-6 and earned an NFC Wild Card spot. Yet, the team was shockingly defeated 32-9 by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurts dealt with numerous ailments leading up to Philly's postseason run, but he looks to return healthy in 2024-25.
The Eagles lost the services of star veteran center Jason Kelce, who was instrumental in the team's success, but other promising pieces are coming back.
Jalen Hurts and Kenny Pickkett will have coveted wide receiver weapons A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Brown boasted top-10 rankings in receiving yards and TDs. Meanwhile, Smith's production earned him top-20 rankings. The duo looks to help Philly's offense return to the top of the league.
All in all, Nick Sirianni and company will do all they can to reach the Super Bowl again. It will be interesting to see how the Eagles handle the rest of the 2024 NFL free agency period and offseason.
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