The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Kenny Pickett in a trade earlier this offseason in order for him to serve as Jalen Hurts' backup, but he is apparently looking even better than Hurts at Eagles' organized team activities.
The initial post was made by Pickett's personal quarterback coach Tony Racioppi, so obviously, there may be some bias there. But it's certainly possible that Pickett has looked good in OTAs considering that he absolutely has something to prove.
Pickett was originally selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 20th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft and was supposed to be the club's successor to Ben Roethlisberger.
Instead, Pickett put forth two massively disappointing campaigns in Pittsburgh, totaling 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 25 appearances and 24 starts. Most recently, Pickett threw for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four picks in 12 starts for the Steelers in 2023. He ended up suffering an ankle injury during the second half of the season and had to undergo surgery. He was slated to return at the very end of the season, but he was benched in favor of Mason Rudolph.
Pittsburgh then signed Russell Wilson in free agency and proceeded to trade Pickett to the Eagles.
Jalen Hurts is entering a pivotal season
Let's make something clear here: barring an injury or a catastrophically horrendous run of bad play by Hurts, Pickett will not be supplanting him as Philadelphia's starter in 2024. However, that does not mean that this coming season isn't a pivotal one for Hurts.
Hurts is coming off of a very underwhelming 2023 campaign in which he threw for 3,858 yards, 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also lost five fumbles, running his turnover total up to 20 for the season. Yes, he punched in 15 rushing touchdowns, but his performance as a passer was pedestrian.
That came one year after the 25-year-old finished second in MVP voting and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl.
Here is the thing, though. Outside of that 2022 campaign, Hurts has really been nothing more than an average quarterback. So was 2022 the outlier? Or will Hurts return to that form in 2024?
Hurts has only had three full seasons as Philly's starting signal-caller, so he deserves the chance to prove that 2022 wasn't some kind of fluke. But there is no question that his play last season was concerning, and there were even some questions about his leadership in the locker room during the Eagles' second-half collapse in 2023.
Let's say Hurts gets off to a bad start next season. How will that affect him going forward, and will it further inhibit Philadelphia's locker-room dynamic? No, it won't force Pickett into starting duty, but it may result in the Eagles questioning if handing Hurts that massive $255 million contract extension last April was a mistake.
The University of Alabama product certainly can't say that he doesn't have enough help, as Philly boasts one of the best wide receiver duos in the league in the form of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Plus, the offensive line is great (although the departure of center Jason Kelce could be significant), and the Birds now have Saquon Barkley in the backfield.
We probably shouldn't go as far to say that it's make or break time for Hurts, but he does need to begin showing that what he achieved two years ago wasn't an anomaly.
Follow Us
Subscribe
