Former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett 'Wilted In The Face Of Competition' After Big Time Signing

The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving on without Kenny Pickett after multiple issues popped up over the last six months. His reported unwillingness to back-up Mason Rudolph, as well as his tantrum after the team signed Russell Wilson, forced the Steelers' hand and they traded him away to the Philadelphia Eagles for significantly less than what it cost to draft him. He has been taking heat for a while now, and it doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon. It's safe to say that he burnt the bridge between him and the Steelers' organization as a whole. 

During his Q&A chat, Gerry Dulac quickly had to answer a question about the disgruntled quarterback. He talked about how the big question concerning Pickett was quickly answered, and no one in Steeler Nation is happy with it. 

"Kenny Pickett did it to himself. When they signed Russell Wilson, I said we'll find out about Pickett; is he a flower who will wilt in the face of competition or is he a fighter who will battle for what he thinks is his? You got your answer."

Pickett came out of college with the idea that he was a fiery competitor with endless moxie and the inability to melt under pressure. That was quickly disproven on multiple occasions. Because of that, the Steelers only received two seventh-round picks, as well as a 22-pick upgrade in the middle rounds, despite Pickett being a first-round pick just two drafts ago. 

Pickett Gave Steelers No Choice But To Trade Him

The first problem popped up when Pickett was finally healthy enough to return from injury in Week 17 of 2023. Even though he was healthy, Rudolph had himself a monster game the week before, leading the Steelers to a 38-11 route over the Cincinnati Bengals. Tomlin chose to ride the hot hand of Rudolph, and it worked out for the Steelers as they secured yet another convincing win. 

In the midst of that, Pickett was reportedly angry that he was not the starting quarterback and he refused to be the backup, which is why he was listed as a healthy scratch for the game. He denied the allegations, although the fact that he didn't even dress for the game seems to go against what he said. He did back up Rudolph for the last two games, but it seemed to be more of a PR stunt. 

Despite being a captain, he also refused to show up for the last days of media availability and speak on behalf of himself and the offense that he was assigned to lead. His anger for the whole situation was growing more obvious by the week, and questions started to swirl about if he was the leader that he was expected to be when he was drafted. 

The final piece came during free agency. The Steelers signed Wilson to compete with Pickett, but he reportedly handled the situation poorly. That last little bit was exactly what the Steelers needed to shop him in trades, and they could not get much in terms of value, as mentioned earlier. Since that, he has been catching endless heat, and it appears to be well-deserved. 

The ironic thing is that he was triggered by the fact that he wasn't the confirmed starter anymore, so he got traded to a team where he would have no shot of winning the starting job. The Eagles gave Jalen Hurts a $255 million dollar contract extension that takes effect in the upcoming season. It would have to take an injury for Pickett to get the chance to start at all. He might even have to compete for the backup role, who knows?