Following his unceremonious departure from Pittsburgh, third-year quarterback Kenny Pickett arrived in the City of Brotherly Love with the expectation that he'd be the Philadelphia Eagles' back-up to Jalen Hurts. However, the change of scenery didn't stop Kenny Pickett's NFL journey from encountering yet another hurdle… this one in the form of second-year quarterback Tanner McKee, got 2nd team reps over Pickett recently, prompting Eagles fans to wonder whether Pickett was losing his grip on the back-up job.
Fortunately for Kenny Pickett, his performance during Friday's night's preseason opener versus the Baltimore Ravens was likely enough to hold off the former 6th Round pick, at least for the time being. Pickett got the start for the Eagles and led Philadelphia on a 15-play 1st quarter drive that ate up over 8 minutes of clock and concluded with a touchdown. Pickett played into the 3rd quarter before handing the reigns to McKee, who completed 6-of-16 pass attempts for just 39 yards to secure the 16-13 win.
After the game, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni was complimentary of both of his quarterbacks, noting, “I thought they were both in complete control while they were in, and made some big throws.” But Sirianni singled out Pickett specifically, identifying that penalties stalled what could've been successful possessions when he was out there.
“We were moving the ball nicely when Kenny was in,” Sirianni said after the game, according to Martin Frank of Delaware Online. “It was not his fault that there were a couple of penalties that stalled drives that weren’t necessarily him.”
What's next for Kenny Pickett in Philadelphia?
So long as Kenny Pickett can hold off Tanner McKee for the remainder of the preseason, he'll be relegated to back-up duties behind Jalen Hurts, which means he'll only see the field in blowouts or if Hurts ever goes down with an injury… not at all far-fetched, considering how often Hurts runs the ball — over the last three seasons, Jalen Hurts' 461 rushing attempts are the most, by far, among quarterbacks, as are his 38 rushing touchdowns.
If Pickett is thrust into a relief role for the Eagles, then fans in Philly can at least take some comfort in knowing that their back-up QB has a winning record over his 24 career starts in the NFL. Although Pickett's touchdown (17) to turnover (14) differential is not exactly ideal, his 14-10 record indicates that with organizational stability and talent around him, Pickett is perfectly capable of at least keeping the ship afloat.
Follow Us
Subscribe