No pouting allowed—Steelers revamp quarterback room
On March 15, 2024, ex-Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson signed a 1-year, $1.2-million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many fools, oops I meant folks, considering the way that Wilson was treated during the 2023 season by the Broncos “head-roach,” or Head Coach Sean Payton, thought he would be a backup at best to Kenny Pickett and help mentor him in mundane things like moving the chains and getting first downs….ya know, minor stuff like that.
Whoever advised and prompted Kenny Pickett to demand a trade must have had relatives who were scalpers who sold two two-for-one, one-way discount tickets to the Titanic, complete with a cabin that guaranteed an oceanside view. Before, after, or whenever Russell Wilson completed the transaction with the Steelers, Kenny Pickett was informed that Wilson occupied “the pole position.”
Somewhere along the way, Pickett demanded to be traded. Afterward, the Omar Khan “bullet train” was spotted idling outside of Acrisure Stadium waiting to transport the now ex-Steelers and new Eagles QB with “warp speed” to “the city of brotherly love.”
I’m not sure if Kenny Pickett is hyped about playing in a city that had a magistrate’s court on the lower level to keep rabble-rousers in check. There was an article in sportingnews.com posted on Jan. 29, 2023, that reported: “There was a jail at Lincoln Financial Field, but it was shut down shortly after it was opened. The Eagles’ old home, Veterans Stadium, had a jail for unruly fans that lasted awhile.” Hey Kenny, good luck if you decide not to dress in Philly.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sportswriter and guru Gerry Dulac recently posted this on X: “The Steelers made the move because of the way Pickett was poorly handling the arrival of Russell Wilson, according to sources. That came on the heels of Pickett’s behavior last season when he refused to dress as the emergency third quarterback in Seattle in Week 17.”
First and foremost, Gerry Dulac is not going to post anything that might be in the ballpark of slander or libel.
Also, Mark Madden, the Pittsburgh area sports instigator, had this to say on X about the “King” Kenny trade. “Small hands, big ego, no b___s. Farewell to a gutless coward who’s running away from failure to hide across the state. Anybody doubt that Seattle story now? BIG ***KING BABY. Arrogant w/o accomplishment. I was right all along. HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW! I accept your apologies.”
On March 18, Victoria Hernandez posted the following on usatoday.com: “Kenny Pickett sees Eagles trade as a ‘reset,’ ‘confident’ in leaving Steelers on good terms.” She writes: “Pickett said the move is a ‘reset’ after a tumultuous season in the Steel City when he had ankle surgery and was demoted from the starting role.”
Now hear this, his paltry 6 touchdowns against 4 picks and his half-game heroics, simply did not cut the mustard. He was not demoted because of his injury. Pickett’s injury and the insertion of Mason Rudolph exposed the reality that the Steelers needed an option for the future and that option was not Kenny Pickett. Hernandez went on to quote Kenny Pickett as saying: “It just felt like it was time from the things that transpired and wanted to get a chance to go somewhere else to continue to grow my career….I just think it’s a good reset. I think getting a chance to play on this team in that quarterback room with a couple great guys, helping those guys out any way I can and just be ready if my number’s called somewhere down the road. It’s a crazy, crazy league, crazy business, just trying to put my best foot forward and be an asset for this team. I think the communication is what it is, it was behind closed doors….I’m confident in the way that I handled it. I handled it the way I should’ve handled it. I’m excited to be here. It worked out so well that Philly was the place I ended up landing in, so I think everything happens for a reason and I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
Liar, liar, _ss on fire. C’mon. “Just trying to put my best foot forward and be an asset for this team.” Where was his best foot when he became “baby Huey,” showcasing behavior that indicated that he may have surmised incorrectly that he was the entitled one and his number one QB position was simply going to be dropped back into his lap even in light of his atrocious performances? After that juvenile behavior and once Mason Rudolph signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent, did Pickett incorrectly surmise that any additional quarterback brought into the QB room would be there strictly as his backup? Well, in my circle of critical thinkers: “Homey don’t play that.” Or in 2024 jargon, “Homies don’t play that.” Homies in this case are Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan. Once Pickett faced the reality that he was going to face the prospect of being demoted to a second-string and maybe a third-string QB position, he reneged when faced with being a part of a genuine quarterback competition. He pulled the “I’m a first-round draft pick” card. The Steelers replied, “What do you mean Kemosabe?” You are now a former first-round pick.
In addition to that, there is not even a slight QB crisis in Philly. If Jalen Hurts continues to put up the rushing and passing numbers that he has been putting up, over past seasons and remains healthy, Kenny Pickett might figure on getting in a game during the preseason or at the end of games that are out of hand or getting inserted in meaningless end-of-the-season games when the Eagles have clinched a postseason berth. It is not Thanksgiving in March, but for all intents and purposes, Kenny Pickett’s “goose” has been cooked
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