Steelers legend shares bold takes about Russell Wilson, Kenny Pickett decisions

It's now known that quarterback Kenny Pickett "preferred to move on" from the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason after Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson to a team-friendly contract. The Steelers ultimately granted that wish and sent Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent the majority of this season as a backup.

During a Super Bowl LIX media call, Steelers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw offered quite a bold take regarding how the Steelers handled the Pickett-Wilson situation in March 2024. 

"I would not have brought in Wilson," Bradshaw directly said, as shared by Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "Then Wilson kind of shut me up and then he disappeared on me the last four weeks."

Bradshaw was referencing how Wilson helped the 2024 Steelers go from 4-2 to 10-3 after the veteran missed the first six weeks of the season while dealing with a lingering calf problem. However, the Pittsburgh offense then hit a figurative wall, and the club endured a five-game losing streak that ran through its wild-card playoff matchup at the rival Baltimore Ravens. 

Meanwhile, Pickett experienced more lows than highs across his two seasons with the Steelers. Additionally, it was reported that he refused to dress for the Week 17 game of Pittsburgh's 2023 campaign because he "was very unhappy that he wasn't starting." While he later denied that claim, whatever happened on that Sunday proved to be the beginning of the end of his Steelers tenure. 

"I would not have got rid of Kenny Pickett," Bradshaw continued. "If you draft a guy in the first round, he’s there for a reason. If you think he’s first-round material ... they just didn’t protect him, they didn’t build around him and they unloaded him and look at him. Hey, make your bed, you got to lie in it."

Individuals within the Steelers now seem to be split on whether the club should re-sign either Wilson or backup Justin Fields. Both are set to become free agents when the new league year opens on March 12, and there's been no sign since head coach Mike Tomlin went to Wilson this past October that he believes Fields can be a long-term answer at the position. 

"...I love Kenny Pickett," Bradshaw added. "I thought they made a huge mistake getting rid of him and I said so ... I think he’s got everything it takes. I think he’s got great poise. He’s smart."

One wonders if Pickett will ever prove his former club wrong by becoming a top-tier QB1 for a different franchise. For now, the 26-year-old will serve as the Eagles' QB2 for their Super Bowl LIX showdown versus the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.