March 15, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA Today
Eagles QB Kenny Pickett now gets to play for the team he grew up rooting for.
The Philadelphia Eagles made a surprise move on Friday afternoon when they dealt for former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, according to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Trade: Steelers are sending QB Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles in a pick swap, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2024
Once Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson, Pickett preferred to move on. pic.twitter.com/cvsAP2e8lB
The trade compensation is as follows:
| Eagles get: | Steelers get: |
| QB Kenny Pickett | 3rd round pick (98th overall) in 2024 |
| 4th round pick (120th overall) in 2024) | 7th round pick in 2025 |
| 7th round pick in 2025 |
Using the draft value chart, the swap of the 98th overall pick and the 120th overall pick is the equivalent of a fourth-round pick.
Pickett was a Steelers first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft. He started 12 games as a rookie both in 2022 and 2023, with a 7-5 record in each season. His passing stats:
| Kenny Pickett | Comp-Att (Comp %) | Yards (YPA) | TD-INT | Rating |
| 2022 | 245-389 (63.0%) | 2404 (6.2) | 7-9 | 76.7 |
| 2023 | 201-324 (62.0%) | 2070 (6.4) | 6-4 | 81.4 |
While Pickett hasn't turned the ball over at a high rate (particularly in 2023 when he threw just 4 INTs), his 13 TD passes in 24 career starts is an abnormally low number, as is his career 6.3 yards per pass attempt. The Steelers' offense averaged 14.7 points per game in Pickett's 12 starts in 2023.
Pickett suffered a high ankle sprain late in the season, but when he was well enough to play again, the Steelers continued to start Pickett's backup, Mason Rudolph, rather then insert Pickett back into the starting lineup.
Pickett was reportedly upset with the Steelers' signing of Russell Wilson this offseason:
Can confirm @gerrydulac's reporting that Kenny Pickett's handling of the Russell Wilson signing was a factor in the @Steelers' decision. He communicated to the team he was fine with competing for the job, then went the other way when Wilson was added. So he's gone.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 15, 2024
In Philadelphia, Pickett will play behind a quarterback in Jalen Hurts who is far more entrenched as the starter than Wilson is in Pittsburgh.
The Eagles' willingness to give up draft capital for Pickett is a questionable decision, seeing as 2023 QB3 Tanner McKee may very well already be a better player than Pickett.
Eagles' 2024 draft picks updated here. 2025 here.
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