Months later, Kenny Pickett haters look desperate after he did Steelers a massive favor

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has since moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickett was traded to Philly this offseason after Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson. Pickett didn't necessarily have a problem with the Steelers signing Wilson, but wasn't under the impression it would be an open competition.

As valid as Pickett's opinion may have been in the moment, he actually did the Steelers a huge favor. Had he remained in Pittsburgh, he likely would've started the season under center thanks to Wilson's lingering calf injury. However, Pickett's trade to Philadelphia forced the Steelers to replace him. In doing so, they acquired Justin Fields, who through four games looks like a real candidate as a long-term option at the position.

Still, that hasn't stopped some Pittsburgh fans from bashing Pickett, even when he return for a Pitt game this season. Like him or not, Pickett is a Pitt Panther legend -- yet, some fans booed him due to his controversial exit from the Steelers.

Steelers fans should be grateful Kenny Pickett demanded out of Pittsburgh

Many Steelers fans are tired of the narrative, and rightly so -- Pickett was traded months ago, and the season is nearly five weeks old. However, just last week another article, this time from Pittsburgh Magazine, threw some unnecessary shade at the now-Eagles backup. Writer Mike Prisuta compared Pickett's exit to the lingering presence of Dan Moore Jr. on the offensive line, whose flexibility is valued by the Steelers brass.

"If there’s been anyone who’s had a right to pull a Pickett and pout in recent seasons it’s Moore, a former fourth-round pick who wound up starting 16 games as a rookie in 2021 and 17 more in 2022," Prisuta wrote. "Rather than take it personally when players of a higher pedigree were acquired at the expense of precious draft capital at the position he plays, Moore kept his head down and kept working."

This, of course, doesn't begin to tell the full story. Moore Jr. can play multiple positions on a five-person Steelers offensive line. Pickett is a quarterback, of which there is only one player who receives time. The backups are quickly forgotten, and in Pickett's case he'd quickly be labled a bust if usurped by Wilson.

In securing a trade to the Eagles, his childhood team, Pickett got a fresh start while also allowing the Steelers to fine tune their quarterback room. It's clear now he did Pittsburgh a favor, as Fields continues to ball out in his first season as a Steeler.