Kenny Pickett vs. Trey Lance happened, and it looked as sad as fans thought it would

With the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Trey Lance to be the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo.

Then, with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Kenny Pickett to be the successor to potential future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger.

One would expect a matchup of two high-drafted quarterbacks to produce an exciting showdown. However, when the two went head to head this past Sunday, that was the last thing we saw.

Two extremely lackluster performances by quarterbacks who were only put in because the Eagles had secured the game — let's take a look at what went wrong.

The rise and fall of Trey Lance

Trey Lance attended North Dakota State University where he posted eye-catching numbers in 2019 when he was named the starter for the Bison. Lance mainly played during the 2019 season, as he was redshirted in 2018 and 2020 was shortened due to COVID-19. During his impressive season, Lance threw for nearly 2,800 yards and 28 passing touchdowns without throwing an interception, he also rushed for an additional 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns in 168 attempts.

Following the shortened season, Lance declared for the NFL draft in 2021 in which he was taken third overall by the San Francisco 49ers. Trey Lance was waiting for his chance on the sideline which came when starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo got injured during the 2021 season.

Lance's stats with the Niners were nothing to write home about in his four starts before he was injured as well, leaving the team with the third-string Brock Purdy who quickly proved his worth and took over the starting role, which he still holds. Then in the 2023 season, Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick.

The rise and fall of Kenny Pickett

Kenny Pickett enjoyed a longer collegiate career, playing five seasons with the University of Pittsburgh. While he has a few impressive seasons, his best came during his senior year. Pickett threw for just over 4,300 yards and 42 touchdowns, complimented by an additional five rushing touchdowns.

The timing for Kenny Pickett could not have been more ideal, a hometown hero seemed to be just what the doctor ordered for Pittsburgh Steelers, as the Pitt quarterback was already playing in the shared Acrisure Stadium for the past five years, and the retirement of "Big Ben" Roethlisberger opened up a door for the young star.

With high hopes from the Steelers organization for Pickett to be the next guy to build a franchise around, he just couldn't seem to figure it out. In 2022 Pickett threw nine interceptions compared to his 10 total touchdowns, seven of which were passing. With a slight improvement in 2023, Pickett threw four interceptions compared to his seven total touchdowns, six of which were passing. The Steelers had a 9-8 record in 2022 and a 10-7 record in 2023, and while those could be worse, it was safe to say that Pickett was not the answer the team was looking for.

This year, the Steelers signed quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to the QB room, after which Pickett requested a trade from the Steelers, in which he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles along with a 2024 fourth-round pick, while the Steelers got a 2024 third-round pick and a pair of 2025 seventh-round picks in return.

The matchup

With the background set for these two quarterbacks, now considered some of the larger letdowns in recent drafts, when the Philadelphia Eagles took a comfortable lead over the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday, both backup QBs ended up on the field. The result? Exactly what fans expected.

Kenny Pickett threw three passes, only one of which was caught for five yards. He also had one carry for a single yard. There isn't much to say about the performance put on by the young QB, but it is safe to say the Eagles are very hopeful to keep starting QB Jalen Hurts healthy this year.

Trey Lance threw six passes, four of which were completed for a total of 21 yards, and the icing on the cake was an interception thrown. Lance also had three carries for a total of 17 yards, one of which was an 11-yard carry.

The Cowboys are in a tight spot with starting quarterback Dak Prescott reportedly out for the season, and backup Cooper Rush struggling with a 13-for-23 performance for just 45 yards, the Cowboys are left with limited options. It seems, at this point, that a coin flip might be as good a method as any for deciding who takes the starting spot.