Kenny Pickett’s Crossroads: Can He Follow Sam Darnold’s Redemption Blueprint?
As Steelers fans watched Super Bowl LX unfold, there was a lingering sense of “what if” hanging over Pittsburgh. The team had gone toe-to-toe with the champion Seattle Seahawks during the regular season-much closer than the Patriots managed in the big game-and they’d even handed New England a loss. Add in the fact that Sam Darnold, now a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, was on the Steelers’ radar last offseason, and the questions start to pile up.
Darnold’s journey from journeyman to champion is the kind of turnaround that gives hope to quarterbacks trying to reset their careers. And for Pittsburgh fans, one name naturally comes to mind in that conversation: Kenny Pickett.
Pickett, the Steelers’ 2022 first-round pick, has had a winding path since his days in black and gold. He’s technically a Super Bowl champion himself-though he earned that ring as a backup with the Eagles.
Last season saw him land with the Raiders after a brief camp battle in Cleveland. And while Las Vegas struggled their way to the No. 1 overall pick (which they’re widely expected to use on Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza), Pickett couldn’t crack the starting lineup, sitting behind Geno Smith all year.
The numbers from his limited action in 2025 don’t paint a pretty picture: 45 pass attempts, 188 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and just 11 first downs over 79 snaps. It was a tough year, no doubt. But it doesn’t mean the book is closed.
Pickett’s not exactly the same kind of prospect Darnold was-Darnold came into the league with more hype, more raw tools, and more pressure. But Pickett, a first-rounder in his own right, still has time to rewrite his narrative. And if he’s looking for a model to follow, Darnold’s path might be the clearest one.
Here’s how Darnold did it: after bouncing around the league, he landed in San Francisco in 2023. He didn’t start, but he soaked up everything he could from Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly system.
That year of mental reps and development paid off. In 2024, he stepped in for Minnesota when needed.
And by 2025, he was leading Seattle to a Lombardi Trophy.
Pickett’s game has always leaned more on timing and mental processing than elite arm strength or athleticism. That means landing in the right system-one that can sharpen his strengths and mask his limitations-is critical. So far, none of his NFL stops, including Pittsburgh, have truly offered him that kind of environment.
There are potential landing spots that make sense. San Francisco could be back in play, depending on what happens with Mac Jones.
Green Bay might be in the market for a backup if Malik Willis ends up competing for a starting job elsewhere. And if you’re thinking geographically, Cincinnati wouldn’t be a crazy fit either-especially with Joe Burrow’s injury history making backup QB a more important role than usual.
The 2026 quarterback draft class isn’t shaping up to be particularly deep, which could open the door for a player like Pickett to find a meaningful role somewhere. Maybe not as a starter right away, but as a QB2 in a stable system with a track record of developing talent-just like Darnold did.
And while Steelers fans might be fine with Pickett continuing his career elsewhere-just as long as it’s not with an AFC North rival like Darnold did in Seattle-there’s still a quiet hope that the former Pitt Panther can put it all together somewhere. Because if Darnold’s story taught us anything, it’s that the NFL still offers second chances for quarterbacks willing to learn, grow, and wait for the right opportunity.
Now it’s up to Pickett to find his.