Report: Steelers Misled Kenny Pickett With Offseason Promise

A recent report suggests that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was not honest with Kenny Pickett in the offseason.

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

With Russell Wilson healthy and ready to contribute, there are some tough decisions coming for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin at the quarterback position that may also open up some old wounds for Kenny Pickett.

Appearing on 93.7 The Fan's The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller, CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala stated that Tomlin promised Wilson the starting job in free agency despite the fact that he told Pickett that he and the organization would do everything in their power to put him in a position to succeed.

"Justin Fields has played well, but he has not set the world on fire," Kinkhabwala said. "I think it's very fair that Mike Tomlin wants to see what he has in Russell Wilson. Whatever the reason, there's a reason he promised him the starting job when, quite frankly, Kenny Pickett was still on his roster and two weeks prior, he had told Kenny Pickett, 'We're going to do everything to support you better than we have since you've been here.'"

Pickett, the Steelers' 2022 first-round pick out of the University of Pittsburgh, endured a tumultuous tenure with the team that resulted in a sour relationship by the end of it.

The entire offense failed to get things going under former offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who filled that role from 2021 to November 2023, and Pickett was no exception. Over 25 games (24 starts) with Pittsburgh, he threw for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while compiling a 14-10 record.

Pickett was hamstrung by an inefficient system, but that doesn't mean he wasn't complicit within that equation as well. He was inconsistent and exhibited poor play far too often for the Steelers to entrust him with the starting job this season, but it's not a particularly good look for Tomlin to essentially promise him a shot at it and then go behind his back and sign Wilson.

Back in March, there were reports that Pickett was open to competing for the role before changing his tune once Wilson signed and essentially asking out.

It was fair for Pickett to seek a change of scenery, and it was also understandable why the Steelers themselves preferred another option at quarterback. The issue, however, comes with how the situation played out.

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