Eagles reporters get the full Kenny Pickett disasterclass in 60 seconds

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Kenny Pickett from the cross-state Pittsburgh Steelers in March. The deal essentially amounted to a pick swap, with the Steelers dumping Pickett to make room for Russell Wilson (and eventually Justin Fields). For Philadelphia, it was a unique opportunity to land a former first-round pick for pennies on the dollar.

Pickett has two years of starting experience under his belt. The Steelers' offense wasn't exactly prolific during Pickett's tenure, but he cannot shoulder all the blame. Poor roster construction and the uniquely counterproductive scheming of OC Matt Canada did the 25-year-old no favors.

That's not to say Pickett is blameless, though. A lot of the Steelers' offensive limitations were inevitably traced back to Pickett's mediocre arm talent and laggy decision-making. He can make simple progressions and execute on intermediate routes, but once Pickett is asked to operate under pressure or uncork a challenging throw into traffic, the results implode.

Still, there is upside — or at least the faint impression of upside. The Eagles are hoping that Pickett can develop into a viable long-term alternative to Pro Bowl QB Jalen Hurts, picking up Kellen Moore's new system and keeping the Eagles competitive when Hurts is forced to miss games. It's a fair bet, and yes, Pickett is an upgrade over Marcus Mariota. That is like saying an apple tastes better than a bowl of dirt, though, so take it with a grain of salt.

Those attending Eagles practice on Thursday experienced the full range of emotions that come with watching Pickett run the show. We may never get a better summation of Pickett's strengths and weaknesses than this two-tweet sequence from Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP.

Here is the first post on X (Twitter) at 1:20 p.m. ET:

Here is his next post at 1:21 p.m. ET:

Eagles treated to full range of Kenny Pickett within 60 seconds of practice

Within 60 seconds, Kenny Pickett made two impressive completions, saw his praises sung by the reporters on location, then underthrew his receiver for an interception. That is basically the entire Pickett spectrum condensed into a single sequence. For every savvy read and impressive flash, there's a dinky throw that threatens a turnover.

Pickett is absolutely fine as the QB2 in Philadelphia. He's one of the better backups in the league by default and, ideally, the Eagles won't need to rely on him much. If it gets to the point where Pickett is starting a significant number of games, Philadelphia's campaign will already be in the gutter. The roster around him will be good enough to win games in the regular season — Pittsburgh was 14-10 with Pickett under center — but the Eagles aren't going deep into the playoffs with Pickett. That is fine.

Given how little the Eagles sacrificed to land him, it's wise to adjust expectations for Pickett. His name is accompanied by a lot of baggage and the rusty prestige of former first-round pick status, but Pickett is a limited, good-not-great backup. That is all he is, and it's all the Eagles need him to be.

Jalen Hurts is the man of the hour in Philly as the Eagles look to rebound from last season's disasterclass. He underperformed down the stretch and opened himself up to unexpected criticism. If Hurts can return to the level he achieved during the 2023 Super Bowl, fans won't really care about what Pickett is doing on the sideline.