Kenny Pickett reveals the one thing he regrets about his time as the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Kenny Pickett is supposed to be wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform right now. Drafted to be the next franchise QB in the Black and Gold, Pickett is attending a Super Bowl in only his third year. Except, it's in forest green and as a backup for the Philadelphia Eagles, instead of as the starter for […]
Kenny Pickett is supposed to be wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform right now.
Drafted to be the next franchise QB in the Black and Gold, Pickett is attending a Super Bowl in only his third year.
Except, it's in forest green and as a backup for the Philadelphia Eagles, instead of as the starter for the Steelers.
And while he's happy with where he's at, Pickett wishes he could have one thing back when it comes to his time in Pittsburgh…
Kenny Pickett Wishes Things Ended Differently in Pittsburgh
“There’s ups and downs, like a lot of guys have around the league,” Pickett told Alan Saunders of Steelers Now during media availability at Super Bowl LIX. “I’m grateful for all the people I’ve met [in Pittsburgh]. I wish it would have ended differently, but I’m here now, and I’m really excited to be at this game.”
Things didn't end well between Pickett and the Steelers, as he was shipped out of town, per his trade request. And while many would go on to paint a narrative regarding his competitiveness, the truth is, Pickett had no other choice.
After playing with a historically bad OC for the first year and a half of his time in Pittsburgh, Pickett had the best game of his career against the Cincinnati Bengals days after Matt Canada was fired.
Pickett would go on to suffer an ankle injury that after a few too many Mitch Trubisky interceptions, gave way to Mason Rudolph as the starter, who won three straight and brought the Steelers back from the dead to make the playoffs.
So Pickett never played another snap, even though he intended to. The Steelers and more specifically head coach Mike Tomlin pursed Russell Wilson heavily, and once they secured him, Pickett no longer mattered in their eyes.
As multiple sources told A to Z Sports and national media members have confirmed, Pickett was told that there would be no QB competition and that Russell Wilson was signed to be the starter, cut and dry, end of discussion.
That prompted Pickett to request a trade, and the Steelers sent him back home to Philly.
So yeah, I'm sure Pickett does wish things ended differently, even if he's happy to be where his feet are…
“Yeah, man, I came a long way,” added Pickett. “You never know where the game’s gonna take you. Just, I’m grateful to be here, just be where your feet are. If you put everything into the team, good things happen, so it’s been a good year.”
