The Pittsburgh Steelers traded quarterback Kenny Pickett, their 2022 first-round pick, to the Philadelphia Eagles last Friday.
After the deal happened, a report emerged from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette claiming Pickett was traded partially because of “his behavior and expressed unhappiness over the arrival” of free agent quarterback Russell Wilson.
On Monday, Pickett was introduced to the Philly media, who asked about the unflattering report, which he denied.
“I think the communication is what it is. It was behind closed doors. I’m confident in the way I handled it,” Pickett said, via Pro Football Talk. “I handled it the way I should’ve handled it. I’m excited to be here. It worked out so well that Philly was the place I ended up landing in.
“So, I think everything happens for a reason and I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
In addition to the Post-Gazette report, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also said that Pickett was unhappy with how the Steelers had handled the pursuit of Wilson.
“This one actually started when Russell Wilson announced on social media that he’d be joining the Steelers. It didn’t sound like Kenny Pickett had a heads-up on that,” Rapoport said. “The fact that Kenny Pickett was assured that he would be the starter and then learned that Russell Wilson would probably get the first-team reps in OTAs – or at least a competition for that – didn’t sit well with him.”
With the Eagles, Pickett will backup Jalen Hurts, while Wilson will be the starter in Pittsburgh. Newly-acquired Justin Fields will serve as the Steelers’ No. 2.