Pittsburgh Steelers misled Kenny Pickett with an offseason promise

With Russell Wilson healthy and ready to contribute, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has some tough decisions ahead at the quarterback position that may also reopen some old wounds for Kenny Pickett.

Appearing on 93.7 The Fan's The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller, CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala explained that Tomlin promised Wilson the starting job in free agency despite telling Pickett that he and the organization had everything in their power Standing would do to reach him to put him in a position to succeed.

“Justin Fields played well, but he didn’t rock the world,” Kinkhabwala said. “I think it's very fair that Mike Tomlin wants to see what he has in Russell Wilson. Whatever the reason, there's a reason he promised him the starting spot when, quite frankly, Kenny Pickett was still on his roster and two weeks earlier he had told Kenny Pickett, “We'll do anything.” “To support you better than we have since you've been here.”

Pickett, the Steelers' 2022 first-round pick out of the University of Pittsburgh, endured a tumultuous tenure with the team that ultimately led to a sour relationship.

The entire offense failed to get going under former offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who served in that role from 2021 to November 2023, and Pickett was no exception. In 25 games (24 starts) with Pittsburgh, he threw for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while compiling a record of 14-10.

Pickett was hamstrung by an inefficient system, but that doesn't mean he wasn't also part of that equation. He's been inconsistent and had poor play far too often for the Steelers to trust him with the starting role this season, but it's not a great look if Tomlin basically promises him a chance and then goes behind his back to sign Wilson.

There were reports back in March that Pickett was ready to compete for the role before changing his tune after Wilson signed and essentially asking for it.

It was fair for Pickett to seek a change of scenery, and it was also understandable why the Steelers themselves preferred another option at quarterback. The problem, however, is how the situation developed.

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