Steelers Hand Out Kenny Pickett’s No. 8, Matthew Wright to Wear It

In previous stints with the team, Wright had worn No. 16 and No. 4.

Pickett wore No. 2 in high school, so the number deviation is not that surprising, though he had worn No. 8 for the past seven seasons of his football career. That is officially another sign of him turning over a new page, which he alluded to in his introductory press conference with Philadelphia.

The Steelers signed Wright last week. Wright has landed in multiple different spots, including with the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers last season.

Wright has kicked in the league many places before, including in Pittsburgh a year ago, which aided him to get opportunities across the league. This is the third time that he has landed with the Steelers, but Wright has yet to land a full-time gig. He has been with multiple teams multiple times.

Last season, Wright was cut by three different teams, including the Panthers, Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers at various points this season. Wright served as a backup for both the Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs last year, making 83.3% of his kicks with a long of 59 yards and going 15 for 15 on extra points. To his credit, Wright has been solid in the limited stints that teams have given him. But he still has yet to full latch on in one place.

Wright originally signed with Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent in 2019 before spending time with the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers. He came back to the Steel City in 2020, connecting on each of his four field goal attempts and seven extra point kicks.