Running back Jaylen Warren of the Pittsburgh Steelers appears thrilled to have Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as his team’s new quarterbacks. But while complimenting the two new Steelers signal callers in a recent interview, Warren may have indirectly said more about former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett.
During Cameron Heyward’s live show during Day 3 of the NFL draft on April 27, Warren received a question about how it’s been having Wilson and Fields at the team facility. In his answer, Warren suggested the two quarterbacks were far superior leaders compared to what the team had last year.
“Oh, it’s a night and day difference from last year,” Warren said, via Baku X (formerly Twitter) account. “The leadership speaks volumes.”
Three different quarterbacks started for the Steelers in 2023. But presumably, Warren is comparing Wilson and Fields to Pickett.
Pickett’s leadership came under fire toward the end of his Steelers tenure. Pittsburgh Sports personality Mark Madden reported that Pickett “100 percent refused to be the backup” for the Steelers in Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Then a day after the Steelers signed Wilson on March 10, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported Pickett canceled a workout with teammates. By the end of that week, Pittsburgh traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Steelers Fans React to Indirect Message on Kenny Pickett From Jaylen Warren
Warren hasn’t exactly gone viral with his indirect potential dig at Pickett. But media members covering the story interpreted Warren’s comment as at least a slight shot at his former teammate.
Steelers Now’s Chris Ward called Warren’s comment “a truth bomb” on Pickett. The Spun’s Hunter Hodies referred to the running back’s answer as a “telling comment.”
Steelers fans on X responding to Baku’s tweet of Warren’s comment were more critical of Pickett.
“It’s becoming more and more obvious how bad of a teammate Pickett was,” wrote Rick M.
WarrensBurgh wrote that “Warren speaks nothing but the truth.”
In his introductory press conference with the Eagles, Pickett tried a little to change the narrative around his Pittsburgh exit. But it appeared to have little impact on average Steelers fans.
“I think the communication is what it is,” Pickett said in response to how the team conveyed to him their offseason plan to sign Wilson. “It was behind closed doors. I’m confident with the way I handled it.
“I handled it the way I should have handled it.”
Russell Wilson Showcasing Great Leadership in Pittsburgh
Perhaps the most ironic aspect of the indirect Wilson-Pickett swap is the fact that just a few months ago, Wilson had a much bigger diva reputation than Pickett.
A team of reporters from The Athletic reported that Wilson had a private office during his first season with the Denver Broncos, which bothered some of the team’s coaches. ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported that in his final couple years with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson placed a lot of emphasis on individual achievements such as the league’s MVP award.
But in the first couple months with the Steelers, there haven’t been any rumblings of Wilson being a me-first player.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth was highly complimentary of Wilson for organizing a workout with him and a few other pass catchers in San Diego. On April 14, Wilson posted a picture of him at the Pittsburgh Penguins game with backup offensive lineman and 2023 seventh-round pick Spencer Anderson.
Warren’s comment only further supports the notion that Wilson is displaying great leadership this offseason.
Wilson appears to be taking advantage of his fresh start in Pittsburgh. While Pickett may have made mistakes with the Steelers, he could eventually do the same if given the opportunity in Philadelphia.
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Steelers’ Jaylen Warren Pulls Back Curtain on QB Kenny Pickett’s Leadership