Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Former Steelers GM Kevin Colbert still defends his controversial handling of a would-be franchise quarterback Kenny Pickett.
- Colbert's stance highlights the team's flawed strategy since their last legendary passer left the locker room.
- The Steelers now faces a dilemma between chasing veteran stopgaps and embracing a necessary rebuild.
Since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats at the end of the 2021-22 season the Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for their next franchise quarterback. If you ask former general manager Kevin Colbert, the team found that passer under his leadership but moved on from him too soon.
That supposed franchise QB? Kenny Pickett.
“We projected Kenny to be a start-and-win NFL quarterback, and quite honestly, he lived up to that in his first two seasons with us,” Colbert told Pittsburgh sports radio 93.7 The Fan. “For us, he was 14-10 and trending in the right direction. So that’s what we thought we had in Kenny.”
The Kenny Pickett disaster seriously delayed Steelers' return to winning legacy
If being 14-10 after two years is the indication a passer is on track to live up to the legacies of Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw, then the Steelers have really fallen a long way. Roethlisberger went 25-6 in his first two seasons and Bradshaw recorded an 11-win campaign in year three. From that point onwards he never dipped below .500 as a starter.
To lay the blame and criticism for Pickett landing in Pittsburgh as the heir apparent solely on the team's shoulders wouldn't be fair. The front office's actions after Colbert retired tell fans all they need to know about how Pickett was viewed after he put on the black and gold.
Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 and then to the Cleveland Browns in 2025 and again to the Las Vegas Raiders. He now resides as a backup for the Carolina Panthers, far from his original projection as a "start-and-win NFL quarterback." It looks like Colbert was the only one who thought he had that kind of ceiling.
“Kenny’s a great young man,” Colbert doubled down. “He’s a great competitor ... And I still think at a young age, I still think Kenny can continue to build on what he did with us in those first two seasons.”
Former Steelers GM still won't own his mistake
Okay, sure, whatever you say, pal. Meanwhile your decision caused the team to have to seek out a bargain bin veteran (Russell Wilson) to fill the void, and now it's stuck settling for another year of Aaron Rodgers' swan song. The only way out of this mess is down before going back up.
Pittsburgh has only picked in the top-10 of an NFL draft five times since winning its first playoff game 53 years ago (no higher than No. 7 overall). The top projected QB prospects in the 2027 draft are Texas' Arch Manning and Oregon's Dante Moore — both of which surely won't be on the board past the Top 5 picks. It's time to tank if you're the Steelers.
Ownership clearly has too much pride to do that, especially after bringing back Rodgers for another kick of the tires. Unless he's injured again (God forbid) or just doesn't have what it takes to perform at a high level, the tank may have to wait until the 2027-28 campaign.
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