The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to go in a different direction this offseason, and Kenny Pickett made a similar call.
Pickett didn’t want to compete for the QB1 spot in Pittsburgh, so he requested to be traded.
The Philadelphia Eagles welcomed him with open arms.
It was a somewhat bizarre decision in the sense that he would’ve gotten a better opportunity to beat Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields for the spot, as the Eagles are fully committed to Jalen Hurts.
Nonetheless, it seems like he desperately needed a change of environment.
When asked about that, Pickett claimed that change was always good, and while some people might not feel that way, he’s actually embracing it right now (Via Around the NFL):
“Change is a great thing,” Pickett said, via Ben Istvan of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’m going through it right now. I was in Pittsburgh for seven years, and now I’m over in Philadelphia. … I think a lot of people probably have some negative views on change, but that’s really just your outlook on it. I think if you keep a positive mindset, it’ll all work out for the better.”
That’s a nice way to see it.
Pickett entered the league as a first-round pick, but there were always some questions about his ability to become a starter at the next level.
Hand-size aside, some scouts didn’t think he had the traits one needed to be a starting-caliber quarterback.
And while the Steelers’ pass game was one of the worst in the game, and he was never put in a position to succeed, the eye test wasn’t that impressive either.
Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are well aware of the fact that patience is finally running out in Pittsburgh, so they couldn’t afford to wait for his development for much longer.
Now, he might not even get another opportunity to be a starter, at least not if he stays in Philadelphia.
