Former Steelers Player Blasts Kenny Pickett
PITTSBURGH -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark took to the All Things Covered podcast to speak his mind on quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Clark believes that Pickett was given a fair chance to compete for the quarterback position and squandered it. Clark says that Pickett was given a chance to compete and "he didn't want it."
"From what I hear, Kenny Pickett actually had an opportunity to compete there,” Clark said. "And he didn’t want it. So now he’s going to be a lifelong backup."
Pickett was given the starting role heading into the 2023 campaign and was unable to meet the expectations of the Steelers fanbase. Following the departure of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, Pickett had the best game of his season, throwing for 278 yards on 24 completions. He would then get injured in the following game and would be replaced by Mason Rudolph. Even after Pickett had healed, Rudolph remained the starter, leaving Pickett's future in limbo.
Pickett was dealt to the Eagles in a pick swap deal, making room for incoming quarterback Justin Fields. The move was full of controversy, as Pickett felt that he was not fully aware of everything going on surrounding the addition of Wilson. He has since said that he is ready to have a fresh start in Philadelphia.
"I just thought it was time. It just felt like it was time from things that transpired," he said in his introductory press conference.
Pickett now joins an Eagles team where he will fufill the job of backing up quarterback Jalen Hurts. Whether Pickett remains a lifelong backup as Clark said, or breaks out into a starting role somewhere is yet to be seen.