Pitt Fans Boo Former Steelers QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers' former first-round pick didn't receive a hero's welcome.

Dec 3, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) passes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports / Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was acknowledged at Acrisure Stadium this weekend during his alma mater's season-opener, but the reception was far from warm.

As the Pitt Panthers coasted to a 55-24 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday, the school displayed Pickett's highlights amidst a break in play. His shortcomings with the Steelers trumped his accomplishments with Pitt in the eyes of a select few fans, however, as he drew boos from the crowd.

Kenny Pickett was great for Pitt.

Not so much for Steelers.

If you’re booing him at a Pitt game. You need your fan card revoked.

You’re there to support the college team. Not the Black & Gold.

— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) August 31, 2024

Pickett was the Steelers' first-round pick with the No. 20 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. After he led the Panthers to their first-ever ACC Championship victory and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in his final collegiate campaign, Pickett's NFL expectations were sky-high as he looked to further build his legacy in the city.

Though he lost the starting job out of training camp as a rookie to Mitch Trubisky, it didn't take long for Pickett to supplant him and run off with that role.

Making his professional debut in a Week 4 loss against the New York Jets in 2022, Pickett scored a pair of rushing touchdowns before Mike Tomlin officially dubbed him the starter moving forward, a title he would hold for the rest of the season.

Pickett threw for 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions with a completion percentage of 63.0% over his 12 starts as a rookie. Pittsburgh went 7-5 with him at the helm, including a 5-1 stretch at the end of the year that nearly squeaked the Steelers into the postseason.

In 2023, Pickett's hype train nearly went off the rails after a standout preseason that further cemented his status as the team's lead man at quarterback. Pittsburgh opened the year with a 7-4 record, all of which were games he started, though the offense wasn't exactly humming along despite the team's overall success.

An ankle injury in the Steelers' Week 13 loss against the Arizona Cardinals required surgery, which unbeknownst to Pickett at the time, would end his campaign. Mason Rudolph grabbed a hold of the starting job in his absence, and although Pickett was healthy enough to return at the end of the year, Pittsburgh sidelined him in what felt like the final nail in his coffin with the organization.

Pickett concluded the season with six touchdowns and four interceptions on 324 attempts. The Steelers fell inside the bottom-10 in both yards (304.3) and points per game (17.9) with figures that were the lowest among all playoff teams.

After Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal in the ensuing offseason, it shipped Pickett off to his hometown Philadelphia Eagles, where he cracked the 53-man roster and is set to backup Jalen Hurts this year.

While Pickett's tenure with the Steelers went far from swimmingly, it's curious that he was jeered at a Pitt sporting event. He helped the football program reach heights that it hadn't seen in decades, and he ended his career there as the school's all-time leader in both passing yards (12,303) and touchdowns (81).

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