New Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and now-former Pittsburgh Steeler Kenny Pickett broke his silence on the trade that caught the league by surprise last week.
In a surprise twist, the Steelers traded Pickett and a 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 120 overall) to their inner-state foes in exchange for a a 2024 third-round pick (No. 98) pick and a pair of 2025 seventh-round selections.
During his Eagles introductory press conference today (h/t Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk), Pickett provided his first public comments since the stunning trade. Needless to say, the former Pittsburgh Panthers is awfully happy about the move:
“I think the communication is what it is. It was behind closed doors. I’m confident in the way I handled it. I handled it the way I should’ve handled it. I’m excited to be here. It worked out so well that Philly was the place I ended up landing in.
So, I think everything happens for a reason and I’m right where I’m supposed to be…
It just felt like it was time from the things that transpired. Wanted to get a chance to go somewhere else and continue to grow my career. The fact that it’s in Philly — the place where I grew up, found love for the game here — with a great coaching staff, great players. Looking forward to meeting all these guys in a couple of weeks when everybody gets back into town. But I think it’s an awesome opportunity to join this team.”
Following Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in 2022, the Steelers signed former Chicago Bears first-round pick Mitch Trubisky in free agency. Viewing the Pittsburgh product as a potential long-term solution, the Steelers used the No. 20 selection of 2022 on Pickett.
But after just two seasons, the Steelers decided they couldn’t fully trust Pickett as a long-term option. They signed veteran Russell Wilson in free agency, and that ultimately sparked Pickett’s trade request.
One day after trading Pickett, the Steelers acquired former Chicago Bears starter Justin Fields in exchange for a 2025 late-round pick.
Kenny Pickett Never Found His Game In Pittsburgh
Though he won seven of his 12 starts as a rookie, Kenny Pickett struggled with accuracy and ball security. He completed 63.0 percent of pass attempts for only 2,404 yards and seven touchdowns against nine interceptions.
Pickett again went 7-5 in games he started during his sophomore year, but he had just 2,070 passing yards and six touchdowns against four interceptions. It was a poor reflection on Pickett (and Trubisky, for that matter) when third-stringer Mason Rudolph helped the offense find its rhythm over its final three weeks.
Rudolph led the Steelers to three straight wins to close out the regular season, and their 10-7 record was just enough to sneak into the playoffs. However, they were dispatched by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round.