The Pittsburgh Steelers have been particularly active during the 2024 offseason. Activity like this would have been considered wildly aggressive prior to Omar Khan’s appointment as general manager. One of the more unexpected moves was when the Steelers signed Russell Wilson and then traded Kenny Pickett. Former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals’ pass rusher JJ Watt is a fan of Wilson coming to Pittsburgh, but feels for Pickett.
Pittsburgh saw franchise quarterback potential in Pickett when they selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but that ended up being a misfire. Pickett never blossomed into what the Steelers expected from him, and the result was a trade that sent Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. While Pickett’s lack of production and tendency to be risk-averse was apparent throughout his short time in Pittsburgh, Watt laments the NFL’s need for immediate success. During a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports, Watt explained why he doesn’t fully fault Pickett.
“I’m sure he is frustrated. I’m sure he feels like he never got the full proper opportunity to show (his potential) and develop, which is a thing that’s happening in this league. We are not giving guys time to develop, grow and fight through adversity and come out the other side, because it’s such a win-now world that we live in. So, I don’t blame him at all for wanting an opportunity to compete somewhere or go somewhere and try something new. When you bring in a guy and say he’s automatically the starter, and you don’t even get a chance, I get it. I completely understand his side. But at the same time, I don’t blame the Steelers at all. When an opportunity presents itself like that, a minimum contract for a guy that’s won a Super Bowl, you’ve got to take it.”
Watt isn’t speaking from the perspective of a fan, but rather from someone who played 12 seasons in the NFL. Pittsburgh had expectations for Pickett based on their investment in him and what they believed he could accomplish, and two NFL seasons was enough for them to make a move. There is, of course, the Matt Canada situation that has to be taken into consideration whenever Pickett is discussed, but great players overcome difficult circumstances, and Pickett wasn’t able to do that.
The bottom line for the Steelers was that 13 total passing touchdowns in 25 professional games wasn’t nearly what Pickett should have produced on the football field. When you factor in that he had the same amount of interceptions (13) as he did touchdowns, it’s a stark contrast to what most starting NFL quarterbacks put forth. Watt’s opinion holds weight for many reasons, but in this case, the Steelers weren’t willing to invest any more time into Pickett, so they moved on.
Steelers’ Move For Wilson Approved By Watt
While Watt may not fully agree with the length of evaluation time given to Pickett by the Steelers, he fully understands why they signed Wilson. Despite their first-round investment in Pickett, he made it difficult to back his lack of production. In comparison, even in a down year, Wilson threw twice as many touchdowns as Pickett’s career total in 2023.
The move to get Wilson wasn’t just a smart, price-friendly upgrade from Pickett; it was also a signal to the fans. Mike Tomlin, as everyone knows, has never had a losing season as the head coach of the Steelers. As impressive as that is, their lack of playoff success has frustrated fans for some time. However, by bringing in Wilson, Pittsburgh is showing that they want to win, and Watt loves that.
“I love it. They know they have an opportunity in Pittsburgh. They know that they need to make some moves to try to take that last step to make that jump. Basically, what they’re saying to their fan base is, ‘We’re going all in to try and win. We want to win a Super Bowl. That’s what we do here.’ I think they’ve seen the narratives about no losing seasons but not making it past that first round of the playoffs. They’re signifying to their fans, alright, we’re going to go ahead and do it.”
Wilson will have to deliver on all the hype, but there is hope in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement left a hole that the team was unable to fill with their Pickett selection. This overhaul of the quarterback room, though, could signal the kind of shift that gets Pittsburgh back to contending for Super Bowls.
Did the Steelers give Kenny Pickett enough time to develop?
