The NFL's two Pennsylvania teams shook up the quarterback landscape on Friday, with the Pittsburgh Steelers trading former first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. The move clears the way for Russell Wilson to become Steel City's unquestioned new starter, while giving Philly a new high-profile backup for Jalen Hurts.
How did each team fare in the trade? Only time will tell, but here are our instant reactions:
The trade
- Eagles get: QB Kenny Pickett, 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 120)
- Steelers get: 2024 third-round pick (No. 98), two 2025 seventh-round picks
According to Drafttek's trade value chart, the Eagles essentially surrendered the equivalent of a mid-fourth-rounder for Pickett.
The grades
Eagles: A-
Did the Eagles need to give up a Day 2 pick for a backup? Not necessarily. But Jalen Hurts has fought through injuries in consecutive seasons, and only the unproven Tanner McKee remained on their depth chart after Marcus Mariota's exit via free agency. Pickett, meanwhile, is just 25, only two years removed from going No. 20 overall and brings 24 games of starting experience. He's also cheaper than most backups on the market, due just $4.6 million through 2025 on his rookie deal. He'll likely enjoy the best supporting cast of his mercurial career in Philly, playing for the team he grew up supporting. It's a classic low-risk, high-reward bet at the most important position in the sport by a team notoriously committed to QB2 investments.
Steelers: C-
Everyone knew that change and/or competition was necessary after Pickett's first two seasons, even if the young signal-caller was often saddled with an unreliable staff or setup. Russell Wilson's arrival as a short-term, albeit big-name rental signaled the club's confidence in Pickett had, in fact, wavered. And yet, did they really need to dump him for so-so draft capital at this juncture? What if 35-year-old Wilson doesn't pan out? Or what if he does, but he peaks as wild-card material? Sure, they can be credited for admitting Pickett isn't "the guy" rather than delaying the inevitable, but then why are they also leaking reports of Pickett's apparent desire to jump ship? As if he, not they, propelled this sudden split? The Steelers certainly needed to do something under center, but this unceremonious axing of a long-term prospect comes off as unusually reactionary.
