Kenny Pickett sheds light on his mindset after joining Eagles - "Change is a great thing"
Kenny Pickett is beginning a new chapter of his career. Back in March, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles on the other side of Pennsylvania, where he will back up Jalen Hurts. It is not what he had envisioned for his career, but he is taking this change in scenery in stride despite seeing others' inclinations towards the contrary.
Speaking about it to the Philadelphia Inquirer at the Champion Mindset Symposium in his home state of New Jersey this week, he said:
"Change is a great thing... I think a lot of people probably have some negative views on change, but that’s really just your outlook on it. I think if you keep a positive mindset, it’ll all work out for the better."
In both his seasons with the Steelers, Kenny Pickett threw for at least 2,000 passing yards. However, he also had as many interceptions as touchdowns (13 each) over those two seasons. He also did not play in their 2023-24 postseason loss at the Buffalo Bills, with Mason Rudolph taking the snaps in his stead.
Kenny Pickett recalls the biggest game of Steelers career
That playoff absence is partly why Kenny Pickett remembers a regular-season game more fondly. He recalls a Week 17 matchup against Baltimore Ravens during his rookie season.
At that time, the Steelers were 7-8, desperate to avoid their first losing record since 2003 and make the playoffs again. The Ravens, meanwhile, had already clinched a playoff spot and were aiming for the division title.
The game was close throughout, but it was eventually decided when Pickett found running back Najee Harris for a 10-yard touchdown catch with less than a minute left. In that same interview with the Inquirer, he called it the epitome of his desire to be in the NFL and handle the pressure there:
"I don’t think too much, and I think that’s because of all the preparation I had leading up to the week and before that."
"I remember having a conversation with my dad in the car, saying, 'I don’t want to be 30 years old looking back like, what if I did a little bit extra? What if I worked a little bit harder? Could I have been playing against Baltimore [on] Sunday night, winning a game in a two-minute drill?' That’s what I dreamed about doing."
The following week, Kenny Pickett and the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns to keep their streak of non-losing seasons intact. However, the Miami Dolphins' win over the New York Jets eliminated them from postseason contention via head-to-head tiebreaker (the Dolphins had won their Week 7 matchup).