Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny Pickett tersely responds to unflattering reports about Steelers exit

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 3/18/24

Quarterback Kenny Pickett responded Monday to unflattering stories about his handling of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ addition of Russell Wilson.

Pickett was dismissive of claims that he had not handled Wilson’s arrival well, which prompted the Steelers to trade him to the Philadelphia Eagles. The quarterback said he was “confident” that he handled the situation properly, and that the two sides had communication behind closed doors.

Reporter: What happened between you and the Steelers before/after the Russell Wilson signing?

Kenny Pickett: "I think the communication is what it is. It was behind closed doors. I'm confident with the way I handled it."

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) March 18, 2024

Pickett also addressed claims that he refused to dress in Week 17 after being benched for Mason Rudolph, claims that Pickett had previously denied.

Reporter: There was a report you refused to dress Week 17 last year.

Pickett: "There was a plan there for that game. It went down exactly the way it was planned that week."

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) March 18, 2024

The Steelers traded Pickett relatively quickly after adding Wilson via free agency. Reports emerged suggesting that Pickett handled Wilson’s arrival poorly and was unwilling to compete for the starting job. Another story claimed that Pickett even snubbed teammates after the Wilson signing.

Pickett is not going into much public detail about what really happened behind the scenes. He is adamant, however, that he handled everything the right way. It may be that he feels justified in whatever he told the Steelers, while the team might not agree.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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