When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, it felt as if a fairy tale was about to commence. Sure, there were questions about how Pickett would fare at the NFL level and if he was really worth being selected in the first round of that draft, but he had an excellent collegiate career with the Pitt Panthers, and the Steelers needed a quarterback. Some Steelers fans talked themselves into this being the perfect marriage.
Unfortunately, Pickett never did pan out in Pittsburgh. He spent two lackluster years under center, leading subpar offenses in each campaign before eventually deciding he wanted out when the Steelers signed Russell Wilson. Pittsburgh wound up trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles — a team he'd have no chance to play for without a Jalen Hurts injury.
Now, with Pickett headed back to Pittsburgh to support his alma mater on Saturday, Steelers fans are likely to greet him rudely when taking what happened in this same scenario last year into account. If and when Pickett is booed on Saturday, the quarterback has the ultimate comeback at his disposal.
Kenny Pickett can prove he won Steelers divorce once and for all in homecoming
Not only did he make five regular season appearances and one start for the Eagles, but he appeared in two playoff games, including the Super Bowl. In fact, Pickett was the quarterback who knelt at the end of the game with the Eagles winning handily.
Sure, he didn't see the field much, but he is a Super Bowl champion, and won one with his childhood team. What can Steelers fans realistically say in response to that?
Wilson might've been a step up statistically over Pickett, but the end result was essentially the same. Pittsburgh got off to a strong start but tailed off down the stretch of the regular season and wound up losing in the Wild Card Round, as has become customary. Now, they're in a waiting game with Aaron Rodgers as they hope to find some sort of answer under center at least for 2025.
With Pickett now a member of one of the Steelers' AFC North rivals, the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh fans will try even harder to get under their former hero's skin. If they do, all Pickett really has to do is say he won a Super Bowl. That should get them to quiet down rather quickly.