Overreaction Monday: Dumping Kenny Pickett could get dicey for Steelers this preseason

Kenny Pickett wanted out of Pittsburgh this offseason, and for good reason. The Steelers acquired Russell Wilson behind his back, and then vowed to give the veteran quarterback first-team reps. Pickett was essentially relegated to backup status, a position he wasn't comfortable with as the first-round pick from just a few seasons prior.

So, Pickett was traded back home to the Philadelphia Eagles. The south New Jersey native grew up an Eagles fan. It was a perfect fit, except for the fact that Pickett will once again be relegated to backup duty behind Jalen Hurts, and there's little argument from Eagles fans.

Still, Pickett performed well in his preseason debut with the Eagles, and has shown some flashes in practice as well. It's a familiar storyline for Steelers fans who thought Pickett-to-Pickens was the second coming of Montana-to-Rice last offseason.

Kenny Pickett's Eagles debut showcases familiar growing pains

“We were moving the ball nicely when Kenny was in. It was not his fault that there were a couple of penalties that stalled drives that weren’t necessarily him. I thought when Tanner was in, he did a good job getting into some checks, really being in control of the operation. I thought they were both in complete control while they were in, and made some big throws. There are going to be plays that they want back," Nick Sirianni said postgame.

As FanSided's John Buhler kindly pointed out, Pickett averaged just four yards per pass attempt. One of his primary criticisms in Pittsburgh was his inability to push the ball downfield.

Pickett is not taking over for Hurts anytime soon, but the Eagles did invest a draft pick to acquire him, meaning it's in their best interest if he makes the roster and/or performs well on the field. He has starting experience, and if Hurts were to go down, Pickett should be considered one of the better backup-quality quarterbacks in the NFL. Again, that is not saying much.

Steelers have their own problems at quarterback

Russell Wilson didn't play in the Steelers first preseason game against the Houston Texans. Justin Fields, who is essentially Pickett's replacement as the heir-apparent to Wilson, did. Fields showed flashes as well, pushing the ball downfield when called upon. However, he also fumbled twice on the center-to-quarterback exchange, which Mike Tomlin rightly focused on postgame.

"I thought he did some nice things," Tomlin said per ESPN. "But obviously he was a component of the C-Q exchange, and from my perspective that's dual responsibility on the center and the quarterback. It negated a lot of good things going on in those first couple of drives."

While Fields has more talent than Pickett, he is also more turnover-prone. That is an element of his game the Steelers hope to fix. Pickett, for all his faults, typically held onto the football, even if he couldn't move it downfield. He's what some teams -- specifically those with capable, high-priced defenses -- are looking for in a backup QB. Should the starting QB options for the Steelers or Eagles get hurt, both organizations need a backup who won't lose them the game.

Pickett can be that for the Eagles. Fields has starter potential, but Pittsburgh also inherits a lot of risk due to traits he picked up in Chicago.