Steelers trade Kenny Pickett to Eagles

Steelers trade Kenny Pickett to Eagles

The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson was among the first to report Friday.

According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Steelers will receive a 2024 third-round pick (No. 98 overall) plus two 2025 seventh-rounders while sending out a 2024 fourth-rounder (No. 120).

Ahead of the new league year, the Steelers signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson for practically free on a one-year deal. With this trade, they are essentially left without a presumptive backup.

They can re-stock by potentially re-signing Mason Rudolph or nab one at some point throughout the draft; Pittsburgh owns seven picks with now four in the first three rounds.

Even if it was at the disposal of former Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the 2022 first-rounder was disappointing in his second season as a starter. In 12 games (all starts), he threw for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four touchdowns.

Pittsburgh will assume $3.7 million in dead cap, per Spotrac. Pickett will be on the books for $1.98 million in 2024 and $2.6 million in 2025 with a fifth-year option available in 2026.

The Eagles, meanwhile, have been one of the few teams who have really cherished quarterback depth. Last year, Marcus Mariota was the second-string quarterback; for two seasons, it was Gardner Minshew. Getting Pickett is good insurance–especially with the rest of the QB market in free agency being so dire.

He did not prove to be a starting-caliber quarterback in his young career, but being a backup behind one of the NFC’s top quarterbacks with a solid offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore could be great for Pickett.

What do you think about this trade? Let us know in the comments!

***

This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.

SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!

SHOP for Vendetta Merch!

SUPPORT Vendetta on Patreon!

CHECK OUT our Vendetta NFL/Fantasy Football Content Here.