After his time in Pittsburgh came to an unceremonious end, it appears Kenny Pickett is off to a fast start in Philadelphia.
Noting it’s an “Eagles OTA Overreaction,” Eagles Today reporter Ed Kracz wrote Pickett is outperforming solidified starter Jalen Hurts to start OTAs.
“The backup quarterback looked sharp, sharper than Jalen Hurts, to be honest,” Kracz wrote on May 22. “Hurts was on the money on his first two seven-on-seven throws, hitting A.J. Brown on a quick inside slant then following up with a nice sideline throw about 15 yards downfield. Pickett, though, was consistently on target. The Eagles can win games with him if something happens to Hurts.”
Kracz admits his observations came during a small media viewing period at one practice. Still, it appears confidence is building in Philadelphia that Pickett can be a serviceable backup.
Pickett’s Trade Request Fulfilled Steelers’ Quarterback Wish List
For about a month in the 2024 offseason, Pickett was the lone quarterback on the Steelers’ roster.
The team released Mitch Trubisky on February 12, and Mason Rudolph was a free agent. Rudolph eventually signed with the Tennessee Titans.
At NFL meetings in Orlando, Florida on March 24, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said with Pickett still on the roster, they hoped to acquire either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.
“We knew, obviously, we had to acquire some talent at the position, and so we just studied the field and levels of availability among some of the candidates in the field,” Tomlin said, via the team’s YouTube channel. “We got zeroed in on Russell and Justin among them, obviously. Probably, the goal was to get one guy initially, but through conversation and work, and can’t give Omar enough credit, we were able to acquire both guys.”
Pickett’s trade request was the first domino to fall for the Steelers to eventually acquire Fields.
He requested a trade after reports surfaced on March 11 that the Steelers were signing Russell Wilson.
“I just thought it was time,” Pickett said during his introductory press conference in Philadelphia, via the team’s YouTube channel. “It just felt like it was time from the things that transpired and wanted to get a chance to go somewhere else and continue to grow my career. And the fact that it’s in Philly, the place that I grew up, found a love for the game here, with a great coaching staff, great players.”
The Steelers traded Pickett to the Eagles on March 15 for 2024 third-round and fourth-round picks, plus a pair of 2025 seventh-round picks. They acquired Fields just a day later in a trade with the Chicago Bears.
The Steelers play the Eagles in Philadelphia on December 15, though Pickett will likely only see the field with a Hurts injury.
Wilson, Fields Settling in with Pittsburgh
While Pickett adjusts to his new team, the quarterbacks in Pittsburgh say they’re doing the same.
Both Wilson and Fields spoke to reporters on the Steelers’ first day of OTAs on May 21.
“We’re so young, yet so talented,” Wilson said, via the team’s YouTube channel. “I think if we embrace the challenge every day. If we embrace the opportunity every day, we can go places. It’s gonna be a tough road and a tough challenge every day, and that’s the good thing about it. That’s what we love about the game.”
Though Tomlin said on March 24 that Wilson is “in the pole position” to be the team’s starting quarterback, Fields noted he plans to compete.
“I’m definitely competing,” he said. “Russ knows that. We’re competing against each other every day. Him being out there for me, that helps me get better, us pushing each other. I definitely don’t have the mindset of me just sitting all year. I’m coming in every day, giving it all I got, pushing him to be his best and he’s pushing me to my best each and every day.”
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Eagles Reporter Says Kenny Pickett is Outperforming Jalen Hurts