There is nothing worse for an NFL team than when it drafts a quarterback with the hope he will be the future of the franchise, only to see it not pan out. The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to that exact scenario.
When the Steelers took Kenny Pickett at No. 20 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, they hoped he would be their next Ben Roethlisberger in terms of being a long-term solution.
However, that dream died after just two seasons. After Pickett struggled in 2023, the Steelers signed Russell Wilson to be their starter in 2024, and an unhappy Pickett reportedly demanded a trade, which was ultimately obliged.
Because of the failed Pickett experiment, Pro Football Network's Nick Faria believes that he was the team's worst draft pick of the last five years, which is tough to argue with considering where he was drafted, the importance of the position, and how quickly he flamed out.
Kenny Pickett lasted two seasons in the town where he played college football. His accuracy was among the worst in the NFL, and despite his 14-10 record as a starter, he was clearly a detriment to the offense. Remember, Pittsburgh made the playoffs with Mason Rudolph at quarterback last season.
Despite Pickett's issues last season, the Steelers still managed to make the playoffs, but they did so with Mason Rudolph, who led Pittsburgh to three straight wins to close out the regular season.
Pickett is now in Philadelphia, where he appears to be in danger of not winning the backup quarterback job behind Jalen Hurts. Meanwhile, Rudolph is in Tennessee, where he is practically locked-in behind starter Will Levis on the depth chart.
The Steelers are set to have Wilson start, but he's going to have Justin Fields waiting in the wings just in case he falters. Either way, Pittsburgh should have a better situation under center in 2024.
