The Pittsburgh Steelers have swapped quarterback Kenny Pickett and a fourth-round pick for a third and two seven-round picks with the Philadelphia Eagles. This trade is equal to an early sixth-round pick for Pickett, according to several trade charts.
This move suggests that the Steelers have lost all faith in Pickett, who they plucked from a local Pittsburgh college in the first round of the draft - a decision that raised many eyebrows at the time. Last season, Pickett struggled, scoring only six touchdowns and throwing four interceptions in 12 games, after a decent but not outstanding rookie season.
Many thought the 25-year-old would make big strides in his second year, but instead he went backwards and lost his starting place to Mason Rudolph. Now traded for a small draft compensation, Pickett joins one of the NFL's most exciting teams, the Eagles.
However, he may find it hard to get much game time as he'll be backing up Jalen Hurts. Despite Hurts' struggles in 2023, the Eagles made him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history last offseason.
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It would be a big surprise if he was benched at any point, especially as he hasn't missed a game through injury in his four years in the league. Pickett will have chances to show off his skills during preseason, however, and could be a choice for teams if they lose their main quarterback.
The Steelers were happy to let Pickett go after signing Russell Wilson in what seems to be one of the best deals of the offseason, bringing him in on a one-year contract worth $1.5 million.
Kenny Pickett was traded to the Eagles for a draft picks swap, what is deemed to be worth an early sixth-round pick (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)The Super Bowl champ was let go by the struggling Broncos, who are now trying to rebuild their team through the NFL Draft, but will still pay their former star player $35 million this season - the biggest dead salary cap hit in NFL history.
Along with Wilson, the Steelers made a similar trade to get Justin Fields as they did when they traded away Pickett - getting the former Chicago Bears starter for just a sixth-round pick. Fields has had moments of brilliance during his three years in the league, but failed to convince the Bears to keep him - with Chicago now focusing on Caleb Williams in the NFL Draft. The Steelers have already said Wilson will be their starting player.
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