QB Factory is back — Eagles trade for Kenny Pickett
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills in a 2024 AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
The quarterback factory is back up and running the City of Brotherly Love.
The Eagles have traded pick No. 98 and two seventh-round picks in the 2025 draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Kenny Pickett and pick No. 120.
Pickett grew up in Ocean Township, New Jersey, and was a big Eagles fan and he had said he idolized Donovan McNabb.
He even tweeted the night the Eagles won Super Bowl 52:
Pickett was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He went 14-10 as a starter with Pittsburgh, throwing 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 24 starts. He finished his time there with a 62% completion percentage and a 78.8 passer rating.
With the Steelers officially acquiring Russell Wilson Friday, it was just a matter of where Pickett would be sent, rather than when. The Eagles were in the quarterback market, and have caught their fish.
The 25-year-old has played in some big games and has won some big games, which is a good quality in a backup. However, he was fifth in the NFL in percentage of his throws being bad and was 30th in the league in on-target throws. So, that is not ideal.
Pickett still has two years left on his rookie contract. He has a base salary of $985,000 in 2024 and $2,623,350 in 2025. The Eagles have a cost-controlled backup quarterback for the next two seasons which is good.
The new QB depth chart in Phillt looks like this in 2024: Jalen Hurts, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee.
This also takes the Eagles off the list of potential Justin Fields suitors, which some started to speculate could be a destination with the market decreasing.
And here is an updated look at the Eagles’ picks in next month’s draft:
Round 1: 22
Round 2: 50 (from New Orleans Saints), 53
Round 4: 120 (from Steelers
Round 5: 161 (from Tampa Bay Buccaneers), 171 (compensation), 172 (compensation)
Round 6-211 (compensation)
A pick swap for a 2022 first-round selection is not a bad deal. There is a lot of value there. And the Steelers were bad around Pickett. Former Steeler offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s offense was horrendous along with a meh offensive line.
This is not a nothing trade.
Just hopefully there is no QB controversy, even though I already sense it brewing.
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