The Steelers’ decision to move on from Kenny Pickett keeps looking smarter, and the latest twist only sharpens that picture.
During an appearance on 99.9 The Fan during ACC Kickoff, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said Pickett “begged” the Philadelphia Eagles to trade him last offseason. Narduzzi added that the Eagles wanted to keep him, but Pickett pushed for the move because he wanted a real shot to compete and didn’t believe he could beat out Jalen Hurts.
“The Eagles did not want to trade him,” Narduzzi said. “He begged to be traded because he wanted to compete, and he felt like he wasn't going to have a chance to beat out Jalen Hurts.
"I think there's some misconceptions about, 'They just got rid of him.' No.
They wanted him to stay, and they said, 'We're not trading you.' And he begged, and they said, 'If it's good for us, we'll trade you.
But if it's not good for us, we're not making that move.'”
That revelation adds another layer to Pickett’s winding journey since Pittsburgh drafted him No. 20 overall in 2022. The Steelers traded him to Philadelphia in 2024 along with a 2024 fourth-round pick, getting back a 2024 third-rounder that became Payton Wilson and two 2025 seventh-rounders, one of which became Donte Kent Jr.
Pickett had already asked out of Pittsburgh after the Steelers signed Russell Wilson in March 2024. He spent one season with the Eagles, won Super Bowl LIX as Hurts’ backup, then got his request granted again last offseason when Philadelphia dealt him to the Cleveland Browns. From there, he lost the starting battle to Joe Flacco and was later traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he backed up Geno Smith.
Now he’s on the move again in a different sense. In his first trip to free agency this offseason, Pickett signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the Carolina Panthers and is set to serve as Bryce Young’s No. 2.
For Pittsburgh, the Pickett pick has become a cautionary tale. The Steelers took a swing at quarterback in a class that was light on top-end talent, and the gamble never really paid off. Pickett wasn’t helped by the offense around him under Matt Canada, but he also didn’t do enough to force the issue.
He started 24 games for the Steelers, went 14-10, and threw for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and interceptions.
By the time Arthur Smith arrived as offensive coordinator in 2024, Pittsburgh had already decided it needed a reset. The team brought in Wilson after he was cut by the Denver Broncos, then added Justin Fields via trade from the Chicago Bears. Neither quarterback solved the problem, but both were viewed as better answers than going back to Pickett.
Even now, the Steelers are still searching for stability at the position, a reality underscored by their decision to bring Aaron Rodgers back for a second campaign. Missing on Pickett remains a big part of why.
At the same time, Pittsburgh was right to cut its losses when it did.
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