Kenny Picket throwing a footballKenny Pickett throwing the ball. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Kenny Pickett felt lied to by the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is why he has decided to leave, according to two NFL insiders.

The quarterback has been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on the back of Russell Wilson’s arrival in Pittsburgh and will be Jalen Hurts’ backup in Philly as it appears he prefers going into next season as a second option as opposed to battling for a starting job.

The Steelers had previously committed to Picket as their starter for 2024, according to reports. However, things changed once Wilson became available, with the Denver Broncos opting to release him.

Picket was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, having played his college football in Pittsburgh. The team made the selection in the hopes of him becoming the long-term successor to Ben Roethlisberger but have traded him after just two seasons.

He’s headed to The City of Brotherly Love as part of a deal involving a pick swap after a disappointing second year in the league.

Kenny Pickett Was Not In Favor Of Russell Wilson’s Arrival

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Kenny Pickett was not happy about the Steelers signing Russell Wilson as he was assured he would be the starter before being told he would get first-team reps in OTAs.

Pickett has endorsed the notion as he’s liked a tweet from Tom Pelissero, also of NFL Network, claiming the QB found out about Wilson’s deal via social media before head coach Mike Tomlin told him he would be getting the first reps.

It does appear he feels the Steelers lied to him and was unwilling to remain with an organization that told him one thing and then changed directions because a certain nine-time Pro Bowler suddenly became available.

Pickett will begin his Eagles career having registered a total of 4,474 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.