Steelers Trade Kenny Pickett to Eagles

The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, according to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN. In return for the trade, Pittsburgh will receive the No. 98 overall selection along with two 2025 seventh-round picks while giving up Pickett and the No. 120 overall pick.

It spells an end to the rocky road with Kenny Pickett in Pittsburgh. After just two seasons with the team, Pickett is now out of Pittsburgh. That will clear the way for Russell Wilson to be the starter. Schefter reported that Pickett preferred to be traded after the team signed Wilson, and the Steelers had indicated to Pickett that they wanted Wilson to come in and be the starting quarterback. Pickett preferred a trade, though he did not demand one, sources confirmed to Steelers Now.

Earlier this offseason, Omar Khan acknowledged that it was tougher to evaluate Pickett simply because of what they had put around him.

“It’s different, you know. There’s a lot of factors to it. Not only the player but the situation. Obviously, there’s been some issues with the offense the last couple years, and we’re excited about where we are with Arthur — Arthur Smith. There’s several factors, and it’s hard to pinpoint one thing,” Khan said.

In his two seasons with the Steelers, Pickett finished with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while throwing for 4470 yards. While he was entrenched as a starter for most of last year, he did not get his starting role back once Mason Rudolph caught fire down the stretch. Then, when they signed Wilson, it all put the onus back on the Steelers simply not believing enough in Pickett, even if they wanted to say they had full faith in him.

I have full faith in Kenny,” Khan said while speaking to the Pittsburgh media at the NFL Combine. “He’s shown us some good things. Obviously, there were some issues with the offense and I’m excited about the impact that Arthur Smith is going to have on him. Arthur is very optimistic about Kenny. I know they’ve communicated. We’ll have some strong competition there and we’ll see how it goes.”

Now, a new leaf will be turned over by the Steelers. The entire quarterback room is gone. And that means they have to find a backup somewhere along the way.