3 recent roster cuts who could immediately replace Kenny Pickett for Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Kenny Pickett from the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason for what felt like pennies on the dollar. Sure, Pickett consistently underperformed across two seasons at the helm of Pittsburgh's offense. And yeah, he did sorta lose his job to Mason Rudolph at the end of 2023. But that doesn't mean a former first-round pick and two-year NFL starter isn't worth a pick swap, right?

... Right?

Well, lo and behold, Kenny Pickett does not appear to have changed much since his all-too-brief tenure in Pittsburgh. In many ways, Pickett's career has been a storybook tale gone wrong. He starred under center at Pitt, then landed with the Steelers as the long-awaited heir to Ben Roethlisberger. After that didn't pan out, Pickett landed with the team he grew up rooting for across the state in Philadelphia — a prime opportunity to rebuild his reputation as a solid backup in one of the league's most stacked offensive units.

After an underwhelming preseason, however, many Eagles fans are ready to chalk up the Pickett trade as a rare Howie Roseman L. He just doesn't have the juice, folks. You need a certain level of arm talent and ambition to quarterback in the NFL. Pickett can't hit deep throws into traffic, and he generally shies away from what would be signature passes for a better QB. He plays scared, and that won't get him far in the NFL.

He's only a backup, so this is far from a pressing issue in Philadelphia. But, if Jalen Hurts is forced to miss time, it may become one rather quickly. The Eagles' offense is talented enough to demand success, even without its Pro Bowl quarterback. If Pickett comes in a pinch and flops, we know how cutthroat the Philly fandom can be.

So, as rosters are finalized around the league, here are a few newly available QBs who could adequately replace Pickett as the Eagles' QB2. And no, I won't say Will Grier. I shall give the Eagles front office that courtesy.

3. Sean Clifford, formerly of the Green Bay Packers

Look, proceed with caution. There's a reason the Green Bay Packers scrambled into a last-second trade for Malik Willis. A reason Sean Clifford is on the cutting room floor in search of his next job. When it comes to replacing Kenny Pickett in the City of Brotherly Love, though, it's hard not to look at the recent fifth-round pick out of Penn State. Perhaps some home cooking is all Clifford needs to find his second wind.

There are admittedly alarming similarities in how we hear Pickett and Clifford discussed. "Weak arms," "average athletes," "game managers." Clifford does not have a ton of natural arm talent. He struggles to push the ball downfield and create explosive plays.

He does, however, tend to make more mistakes than Pickett. That is a negative on the surface, but it also means Clifford at least tries some throws that Pickett would never dream of. Clifford also supplies legitimate mobility outside the pocket. If there was a slight silver lining to Clifford's milquetoast preseason in Green Bay, it was his ability to evade pressure and create with his legs. Pickett is generally restricted to the pocket, where he takes more than his share of sacks.

Clifford is 26, so any perceived upside is a myth, but he has a very prototypical backup QB profile. It helps that he can potentially mirror Jalen Hurts a little bit, even if it's a stretch to start comparing the two quarterbacks stylistically.

2. Bailey Zappe, formerly of the New England Patriots

The New England Patriots finally cut ties with Bailey Zappe on Tuesday after his existentially depressing QB battle with Mac Jones last season. Between Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye, and preseason breakout Joe Milton, there wasn't room for Zappe on the roster. He was well liked in the locker room and despised in the fandom, a classic.

Here's the simple pitch for Bailey Zappe. He's better than Mac Jones, who probably resides in the same bucket of failed first-round picks as Kenny Pickett. The tools aren't elite by any means, but Zappe picked up valuable experience last season. He appeared in 10 games and registered six starts, completing 59.9 percent of his passes for 1,272 yards and six touchdowns.

There are turnover concerns aplenty (nine interceptions, two fumbles), but Zappe is another young quarterback with legitimate mobility (83 yards, one touchdown on 17 runs last season). At 25, he offers a semblance of balance in the backup role. He certainly plays a more ambitious style than Pickett, which can lead to varied results, but should generally be preferred over Pickett's gun-shy nature.

If the these names haven't made it abundantly clear, the Eagles aren't exactly selecting from the crème de la crème here. There are only so many QBs available in late August, but of those floating around the free agent market, Zappe has one of the more intriguing combinations of NFL pedigree and perceived upside. Looking bad in New England is not necessarily a career-ending indictment considering the state of the Patriots' roster.

1. Desmond Ridder, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals

I am so, so sorry, Eagles fans.

But, just think about it for a second. Desmond Ridder essentially has a full season of starting QB under his belt. The Atlanta Falcons' offense was a mess in 2023, and Ridder deserves plenty of blame. He does not deserve all the blame, though. Arthur Smith essentially put his inexperienced quarterback in handcuffs, limiting the playbook and tailoring Atlanta's scheme to Ridder's weaknesses.

Smith was never exactly lauded for his personnel use in Atlanta. The Falcons stubbornly refused to lean on Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Ridder's top weapons. Instead, the offense was built around dinky intermediate routes and an inexplicable commitment to "balance." There is a difference, of course, between spreading the wealth and excluding your best playmakers — a difference the Falcons never seemed to grasp.

We should probably see how Ridder looks in a real offense, perhaps even surrounded by the best playmaking corps in the NFL. The Eagles' play-calling raised questions of its own last season, but Kellen Moore arrives highly regarded, and Philadelphia has never been a team to shy away from the extreme talent on its roster. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley can make a lot of quarterbacks look better than they actually are.

For all his stumbles and shortcomings, Ridder did have his moments last season. He needs to cut down on the turnovers, big time, but he at least has a better arm than Pickett. Low bar, sure, but true all the same. At 24, there's still time for Ridder to reinvent himself as a bankable career backup. The NFL is always looking for those. Perhaps the Eagles are, too, if we want to be more specific.