Mike Tomlin, Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
The highlight of Steel City’s free agency revolves around the quarterback position. By acquiring veteran Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers shipped away Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for future draft picks. It seemed like the two-year QB wanted out too, based on recent reports. After being told that Wilson would be starting, Pickett himself requested a trade. Now, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gives a few more details on what led to the end of Pickett’s tenure.
From his perspective, he felt like a change of scenery would be a good thing,” Tomlin said, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor “Obviously when we felt the trajectory of the business with Chicago moving in the right direction, those dominoes started falling.”
The head coach also said that he wishes nothing but the best for the former Steelers QB:
“I won’t get into specifics about our conversations, but I am appreciative of his efforts during his time in Pittsburgh and I wish him nothing but the absolute best in Philadelphia.”
Pickett’s tenure in Pittsburgh didn’t really go as planned. After Ben Roethlisberger stepped away from the game in 2022, the Steelers needed a replacement — and taking over for Big Ben is no easy task. Selected in the first round of that year’s draft, Pickett spent his first few games backing up Mitch Trubisky until being named a starter during Week 5.
Without going through the numbers, let’s just say Pickett hasn’t lived up to expectations as an expected franchise QB. His rocky tenure in the past two seasons culminated in the said trade, and now he has a chance for a fresh start in Philly.
He’ll be a backup of course, with Jalen Hurts calling the shots. But Mike Tomlin’s mention of a “change in scenery” could be just what the 25-year-old needs to revitalize his career. After all, some players take more time to grow and develop than others.
