THE Pittsburgh Steelers have been slammed for their treatment of former quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Pickett, 27, was a 14-10 starter for the Pennsylvania outfit across two seasons in 2022 and 2023.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been slammed for their treatment of Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett[/caption]
Terry Bradshaw blasted the Steelers as a ‘failure’ for not building around the 2022 first round pick[/caption]
Kenny Pickett is now expected to start for the Cleveland Browns next season[/caption]
The 2022 first round pick registered 4,474 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 25 total games.
However, Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024 following their signing of Russell Wilson.
He was then traded again earlier this year to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
But Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw has given a brutal verdict on the Steelers for not building their team around him as they look to transition to Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season.
Speaking in a Q&A on the To The Point Home Services Podcast, Bradshaw, 76, said: “Steelers getting rid of Kenny Pickett.
“A first-rounder, got rid of him after two years. And they’re still looking for a quarterback.
“They didn’t even do anything to build around him.”
Bradshaw played for the Steelers for 13 years between 1970 and 1983, winning the Super Bowl four times and being named Super Bowl MVP twice as well as being named the NFL‘s MVP in 1978.
He continued: “I liked Kenny Pickett. I liked him at Pitt. I know him, I know what he’s like.
“And when they got him to Pittsburgh, here’s what they didn’t do.”
Bradshaw added on an Arkansas radio show. “They didn’t protect him… they didn’t get him an offensive line.
“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.
“And then 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.
“And therefore they say Pickett was a failure. He wasn’t a failure, the Steelers were a failure.”
Eagles Super Bowl champion Pickett has joined the Browns with the intention of starting for them and will compete with veteran Joe Flacco, who has returned to the NFL after a one-year hiatus.
On the idea of starting, Pickett said: “That’s the plan, man (to start)…
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about Joe (Flacco).
“I’ve been watching him since I was 10 years old. Total respect for Joe, what he’s done and I’m excited to get to work with him, too.”
NFL WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
(All times ET)
Thur 4 Sept
8.20 pm – Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Fri 5 Sept
8pm – Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
Sun 7 Sept
1pm – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
1pm – Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
1pm – Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts
1pm – Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots
1pm – Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
1pm – Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets
1pm – New York Giants at Washington Commanders
1pm – Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars
4.05 pm – Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos
4.05 pm – San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
4.25 pm – Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
4.25 pm – Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams
8.20 pm – Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills
Mon 8 Sept
8.15 pm – Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
