Pittsburgh Steelers icon Terry Bradshaw has had a lot to say about quarterbacks this week, both good and bad. But it's mostly "bad's" falling on his former team.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is denouncing the Steelers' handling of young QB Kenny Pickett after his trade to the Philadelphia Eagles before last season, saying the move was a "huge mistake".
"I liked Kenny Pickett," Bradshaw told ESPN. "I liked him at Pitt. I know him. I know what he's like."
Pickett never quite flashed franchise quarterback potential in his two years as a starter in the Steel City, but Bradshaw has come to his defense saying that wasn't entirely Pickett's fault.
"When they got him to Pittsburgh, they didn't protect him, they didn't get him an offensive line," Bradshaw explained. "They wanted to run the football, but they didn't have an offensive line that could protect, and they didn't have weapons. He had no wide receivers to speak of."
Pickett was dealt an unfortunate hand when it came to his receivers ... who were most known for making more noise off the field than on it.
Then just after Pickett is traded to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Steelers finally decide to address the offensive line in the NFL Draft. That tardiness was what irritated Bradshaw most while Pickett was there.
"...They throw a kid in there for two years, and you've got an offense that doesn't fit and doesn't work, and they can't run because their offensive line's not even good enough for a run-blocking team.
"Now, they're saying Kenny Pickett is a failure. He wasn't a failure. The Steelers were a failure."
Pickett finished his Pittsburgh tenure with a 14-10 record as a starter with 4,474 yards and 13 passing touchdowns and interceptions. Once his backup Mason Rudolph replaced him and went on a three-game win streak that led to a playoff berth, the Steelers gave up on Pickett and dealt him to Philly.
Pickett is now competing for the starting job with the Cleveland Browns this season while Rudolph may be back on the bench in Pittsburgh here soon.
Nearly all offseason, the consensus expectation is that the Steelers will sign future Hall of Famer and perceived diva Aaron Rodgers to be their next starter.
That's another move Bradshaw is not fond of, calling it a "joke".
The Steelers have a lot to get figured out, and one of their franchise legends' disapproval is telling you all you need to know about how that is going.