TJ Watt takes dig at Kenny Pickett as Steelers LB gets candid on Russell Wilson's arrival in Pittsburgh
Kenny Pickett is no longer a Pittsburgh Steeler.
The 2022 20th-overall pick was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on the other side of Pennsylvania this month for draft picks shortly after general manager Omar Khan signed Russell Wilson. The Steelers then traded some picks to the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields, giving them a dynamic dual-threat QB pairing.
One player who is excited is linebacker TJ Watt, He praised Wilson while also subtly mocking his former teammate Kenny Pickett at the 101 Awards, where he accepted the Defensive Player of the Year Award:
"To be able to have some big time new faces and guys who have played at a high level — especially Russ, a guy whose won a Super Bowl — in the locker room. I’m just hoping that I can learn something from those guys and hopefully, show them how things are done in Pittsburgh," Watt said.
JJ Watt weighs in on Kenny Pickett's departure from Steelers
TJ Watt's eldest brother JJ recently spoke with CBS's Bryan DeArdo to discuss Kenny Pickett's situation. There, he noted that he could understand both sides.
JJ believes Pickett had been understandably frustrated and angered at not getting a chance to redeem himself and prove his true worth, especially after the Steelers had assured him at the season finale that any veteran who came in would have to earn the starting job:
"I’m sure he feels like he never got the full proper opportunity to show his potential and develop... So, I don’t blame him at all for wanting an opportunity to compete somewhere or go somewhere and try something new. When you bring in a guy and say he’s automatically the starter and you don’t even get a chance, I get it," JJ said (via Sports Illustrated).
But at the same time, he understands the win-now mentality that Omar Khan has been carrying in the face of an increasingly competitive AFC North. He continued:
"They know that they need to make some moves to try to take that last step to make that jump. Basically, what they're saying to their fan base is, 'We're going all in to try and win. We want to win a Super Bowl. That's what we do here.'"
Meanwhile, head coach Mike Tomlin has assured that Justin Fields will get to compete with Russell Wilson, something the Pitt alum arguably never had a chance at doing.