It’s sometimes hard to tell a player’s true intentions with an answer to the media, particularly if one is simply reading the response. But it seems as though quarterback Kenny Pickett took a dig at the team that drafted him while speaking to reporters Wednesday.
Pickett never mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers in front of the media at Cleveland Browns offseason workouts on Wednesday. But the quarterback suggested the Steelers weren’t the place where he learned the most about how to become a professional.
“I’m extremely grateful for my time in Philly,” Pickett said Wednesday, via Browns insider Scott Petrak. “I think I was just shown how it’s supposed to be done, really, from the top down.
“So when you get a chance to see what it’s supposed to look like and how it should look, on a day-to-day basis, not just on Sundays. You know, I think it’ll pay dividends for me in the future.”
The Steelers drafted Pickett at No. 20 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. But after two seasons in Pittsburgh, the Steelers fulfilled a trade request from the quarterback and sent him to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In one season with the Eagles, Pickett played behind Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts. The Eagles went 14-3 and won their second championship in eight years last season.
QB Kenny Pickett Takes Dig at Steelers?
How one interprets Pickett’s answer on what he learned with the Eagles could depend on one’s perspective.
Eagles fans and general football fanatics might not find it unusual. Of course Pickett learned a lot with the Super Bowl champions. While he didn’t play, the Eagles have experienced significantly more success than the Steelers in recent years.
But many Steelers fans on social media saw Pickett’s words as a diss to Tomlin and the Steelers. From their point of view, it’s difficult not to see it that way.
It would be one thing if Pickett addressed how much he benefitted from being in a great offense with the Eagles or the offensive coaching he received in Philadelphia. The Steelers were clearly lacking in those areas.
But Pickett didn’t learn “how it’s supposed to be done” from his Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Tomlin, Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt or five-time All-Pro Cameron Heyward?
While those three aren’t quarterback gurus, they know a lot about NFL success.
Reaction to Pickett’s Apparent Steelers Diss
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra admitted that Pickett’s answer to reporters Wednesday could be seen as a shot at the Steelers. But the NFL writer focused on the positives with the response.
“Although he didn’t mention Pittsburgh at all, some will surely read Pickett’s comments as a slight to Mike Tomlin’s operation — even if none was intended,” wrote Patra. “The reality is that sometimes young quarterbacks need a step back to recalibrate and learn how to do things differently.
“Pickett was drafted early in a weak QB class, tossed into the fire in Pittsburgh, and got burned in an offense that lacked in every aspect. Perhaps instead of a slight to Pittsburgh, it should be viewed as a nod to Hurts — famously a coach’s son.”
Social media had similar reactions. Some users saw Pickett’s answer as a significant dig. Others saw it as the quarterback simply stating the truth.
Pickett is in a quarterback competition with Joe Flacco and a pair of rookies, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, at Browns offseason workouts.
For that reason, it’s difficult to predict if Pickett will start for the Browns when they face the Steelers for the first time in 2025 during Week 6.
The Steelers and Browns will meet again in Week 17.
