Steelers legend calls out team's handling of former first-round pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers have moved past quarterback Kenny Pickett, but Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw hasn't.

During a recent podcast appearance, the four-time Super Bowl-winning former Steelers quarterback ripped the team's handling of Pickett, the No. 20 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

"A first-rounder, got rid of him after two years," Bradshaw said. "And they're still looking for a quarterback. They didn't even do anything to build around him." (h/t NFL.com)

Pickett started 24 games over two seasons for Pittsburgh from 2022-23 and appeared in 25 games overall, completing 62.6 percent of his pass attempts for 4,474 yards (6.3 yards per attempt), 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The Steelers traded Pickett — and a 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 120 overall) — to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2024 third (No. 98) and two 2025 sevenths (Nos. 223, 229) in March 2024.

In the two years since, Pittsburgh hasn't found a future franchise leader, instead handing the starting gig to aging, past-their-prime quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. Wilson signed with the New York Giants in free agency this offseason, while Rodgers has stated 2025 will most likely be his last year in the league.

As Bradshaw pointed out, the Steelers didn't do much to help Pickett. From 2022-23, they were one of five teams (Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots) without a Pro Bowl offensive player.

Pickett could get a chance to prove Bradshaw's criticism right this fall. In March, the Eagles traded Pickett to the Cleveland Browns, who have a messy quarterback situation, with Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders also vying for the QB1 spot.

In June, Cleveland.com Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot wrote that Flacco has the inside track to the starting job after going 4-1 in five starts with the team in 2023. With a full training camp and preseason still to go, Pickett certainly has time on his side to take ownership of the position.

Or, Cleveland could become the third team to part ways with the 2021 Heisman Trophy finalist, which would be a significant hit to Bradshaw's argument.

Regardless of whether his assessment of Pittsburgh's handling of Pickett is accurate or not, Bradshaw's comments speak to a general frustration among Steelers faithful about the state of the organization.

The Steelers are 0-5 in their last five playoff games, including four wild-card losses (2020-21, 2023-24) by an average of 15 points per game.

With an unsettled future at quarterback, it could be a while before Pittsburgh is once again a legitimate Super Bowl contender.