Before NFL free agency could even begin, the Pittsburgh Steelers struck quickly to sign Russell Wilson to an incredibly team-friendly contract worth just $1.21 million. Some thought this meant Kenny Pickett would have a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh. Whereas others saw the signing as a clear indicator that the Steelers were set to hand Wilson, a former Super Bowl-winning QB, the starting role.
The Steelers’ intentions became obvious on Friday when Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving Wilson behind as the only other quarterback on Pittsburgh’s roster. Needless to say, this move was unexpected.
After all, Wilson is 35 years old, and Pickett is still just 25, meaning there is likely room for both to factor into Pittsburgh’s future. Not to mention, he was the 20th overall pick just two drafts ago, is it really time to move on?
It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks—the Steelers already traded Pickett, but again, the move surprised many. However, now we’re learning why Pittsburgh felt compelled to trade their young QB so quickly.
According to Gerry Dulac of KDKA-TV, Pickett didn’t respond positively to Wilson being signed, which, as some may remember was only the latest red flag during his brief time in Pittsburgh. He also reportedly refused to dress as the emergency quarterback during the team’s Week 17 matchup with Seattle when he’d learned he had been relegated to No. 3 QB duties.
The Steelers made the move because of the way Pickett was poorly handling the arrival of Russell Wilson, according to sources. That came on the heels of Pickett's behavior last season when he refused to dress as the emergency third quarterback in Seattle in Week 17. https://t.co/mirLR1UJFP
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) March 15, 2024
Other reports have suggested that Pickett wasn’t even clued in on the Wilson signing and learned about it when everyone else did on social media. The next morning, Mike Tomlin informed his young QB that Wilson would have first dibs on the starting role, and would receive the most reps in practice. It was then when Pickett demanded a trade.
How did this go sideways? Mike Tomlin had promised Kenny Pickett he’d get a chance to compete. Pickett learned about the Russell Wilson signing on social media Sunday night. When they spoke the next morning, Tomlin told Pickett that Wilson was in pole position and would get the… https://t.co/JJmgIyKojX
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2024
While the Steelers likely wanted to keep both Wilson and Pickett, making sure they avoided a situation where they had a ‘locker room cancer’ had to be done. Still, the timing of everything is unfortunate, and it could have contributed to watching Mason Rudolph sign in Tennessee instead of returning to Pittsburgh.
Rumors suggested Steelers ownership, and some players even wanted Rudolph to return, and the interest was believed to be mutual. Yet, once Wilson was added, Rudolph wisely saw the writing on the wall and took what he thought was his best opportunity elsewhere. Now the Steelers find themselves needing to add another QB this offseason, and it could happen in the draft, free agency, or both.
Related: See where new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings