After failing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Kenny Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. In the deal, Pittsburgh also sent a fourth-round pick to Philly and received a third-rounder and two seventh-rounders.
At the time, it was considered a good trade — and now it's looking even better, as Pickett appears to be struggling in his quest to become the backup to starter Jalen Hurts.
According to EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2023 sixth-round pick, Tanner McKee, was getting second-team reps in practice on Sunday.
Adding to that, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com wondered aloud if the Eagles should be giving McKee and Pickett looks with the first team because he thinks McKee might be better than Pickett based on their respective showings thus far.
Might be time to have the Tanner McKee over Kenny Pickett discussion
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) August 4, 2024
Would be very curious to see them both get reps with the 1st team offense just to see who does better. It might be McKee
Tanner McKee is getting some second-team reps again today. Something to monitor as camp progresses. #Eagles
— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) August 4, 2024
Sports Illustrated's John McMullen wrote this about Pickett:
The consensus from the early returns at the Eagles’ training camp is that starting quarterback Jalen Hurts has been very sharp while enjoying perhaps the best summer of his NFL career.
The same hasn’t been true of backup Kenny Pickett, who has been unable to follow up on a somewhat splashy spring built up the foundation of well-placed, back-shoulder throws.
A former first-round pick of the Steelers in 2022, Pickett showed some promise over his first season in the NFL before taking a step back during his sophomore campaign. Upon the Steelers signing Russell Wilson for the NFL equivalent of pennies, Pickett asked to be traded, and Pittsburgh obliged.
On top of the signing of Wilson, the Steelers also traded for Justin Fields, which looks like a total steal when you compare what Philly sent Pittsburgh for Pickett (Pittsburgh traded a conditional sixth that can turn into a fourth for Fields).
Wilson, who is the favorite to start, hasn't been able to take part fully in a training camp practice yet thanks to a calf injury, but he's getting close. Meanwhile, Fields has managed to stand out with his increased first-team opportunities and remains in the hunt for the Steelers' starting job.
