The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market for a starting quarterback. This is the second time in two years the team is going into the offseason without a defined starter.
Blame Kenny Pickett for that.
The Steelers thought Pickett was their future when they drafted him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. It was a swing and a miss as Pickett has been traded twice in three years. He has not lived up to his potential.
He was the Steelers' future. He was going to be next in the line of succession. It did not work out that way.
NFL insider Albert Breer said recently on a podcast the drafting of Pickett put the Steelers in a downward spiral. He likened it to the New York Jets' drafting of Zach Wilson.
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"I think Pittsburgh and the Giants are the same this way in that this is a very real time example of what happens when you strike out on a quarterback in the first round and how that can wind up reverberating for years and years." Breer said. "I think in a lot of ways this is still a fallout of striking out for the Steelers on Kenny Pickett three years ago and for the Giants on Daniel Jones six years ago. And it feels like those teams are still chasing those mistakes. Oh, and by the way, that is where Aaron Rodgers' opportunity was last time. Because they struck out, the Jets did, on Zach Wilson."
The Steelers are courting Rodgers really hard to be their bridge quarterback in 2025. They will look to the draft once again to see if they can find the heir apparent.
Related: Ex Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Trade Bait Again?
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This story was originally published March 22, 2025 at 8:19 PM.