Kenny Pickett's Coach Slams Steelers Narrative

The longtime coach calls out the false narrative after Kenny Pickett's departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kenny Pickett, shown throwing a pass for his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, during the 2023 season. The Eagles traded for Pickett on March 15, 2024. / Kareem Elgazzar/USA TODAY NETWORK / USA

The Pittsburgh Steelers added Russell Wilson and Justin Fields this offseason, but their most controversal move came when they decided to move on from former first-round pick Kenny Pickett. Shortly after signing Wilson to a one-year deal, Pickett reportedly asked the team to be moved, and they listened, sending him to the Philadelphia Eagles prior to their trade with the Chicago Bears for Fields.

The move came with plenty of pushback. Most analysts slammed Pickett for wanting out of Pittsburgh instead of wanting to compete with Wilson. In the process, Pickett's leadership and work ethic were questioned, along with his ability to play in the NFL.

"Small hands, big ego, no balls. Farewell to a gutless coward who’s running away from failure to hide across the state,"Steelers analyst Mark Madden wrote on X. "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.

Now, his longtime quarterback coach Tony Racioppi is standing up for his QB. In an interview with NJ Advance Media, Racioppi said the narrative surrounding Pickett after his trade from Pittsburgh was false.

"I would say the majority of those narratives were pushed by people. And they are 100 percent BS …,” Racioppi said. "I would put his leadership ability against anybody out there. I will always believe in that kid. He has it. He has it physically. He has it mentally. He’s tough. He’s smart. There’s this work ethic to him. He has the talent and abilities. He has what you want. So much of that league is (the) right place, right time (and) wrong place, wrong time. There’s so many cases that point to that."

Pickett is set to play behind Jalen Hurts with the Eagles, but neither he or Racioppi believe his time as a starting quarterback in the NFL are over. After getting out of Pittsburgh, they actually believe he's on a better path to finding success in the league.

"(Kenny and I) both know, especially with the quarterbacks now in the NFL, there’s a long road if you do it right. The days of being 28 years old and out of the league are over. If you get a second opportunity and take advantage of it, you can turn (that) into another 10 years, eight years, whatever it’s going to be," Racioppi said.

"At the end of day, that’s what we’re hoping for, whether it’s in Philly or somewhere else. You’re looking for an opportunity at some point. And when you get it, you have to take advantage of it."

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