Jan 6, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) warms up before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Wild Reason Steelers Drafted Kenny Pickett Finally Emerges

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Apr 2, 2026 7:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers hold the 21st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but chances are they aren't going to make the same choice they did last time they found themselves with an opportunity at a first-round passer. Despite needing a quarterback, this team appears patient and willing to wait for the best class to choose from. Which, ironically, was the opposite of what they did last time.

In 2022, the Steelers were on the clock at pick No. 20 and kept local star Kenny Pickett in Pittsburgh. Their choice to select Pickett came as a pretty big surprise, as the Steelers showed little interest in him during the scouting process.

Why they picked him was always a mystery. The former Pitt QB never panned out, spending just two seasons with the Steelers before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, the reasoning behind their decision to select him has been revealed.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

According to CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala, the Steelers wanted to avoid a mistake they made nearly 20 years prior. In the 1983 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected Gabe Rivera, a defensive tackle out of Texas Tech with the 21st overall pick. Left sitting there for the Miami Dolphins to pick was quarterback Dan Marino, who today is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"I was just talking to someone who used to work with the Steelers, and he said to me, 'Well, they didn't wanna make the same mistake they made with Marino," Kinkhabwala told 93.7 The Fan.

Pickett finished his time with the Steelers with a 14-10 record, throwing for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

He was traded to Philadelphia after the team brought in Russell Wilson through free agency. Today, Pickett has been traded three times and recently signed with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.

However, Kinkhabwala doesn't believe it was Pickett's fault he never made it as a Steeler.

"He wasn't set up to succeed," she said. "What was going on in the building was not going to allow for pretty much any quarterback to succeed with what the offensive coordinator situation was. With the way the wide receivers were. With what the offensive line was."

Pickett didn't have much help during his time with the Steelers, but it's still unlikely he develops into a franchise quarterback due to his limitations at the NFL level. Still, Pittsburgh learned their lesson on reaching for quarterbacks, and while they'd love to find the next Dan Marino, they aren't going to rush the process in order to do so.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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