The Pittsburgh Steelers now have their solution at quarterback, albeit just for one season, in Aaron Rodgers. But, it's been a while since Ben Roethlisberger retired and Pittsburgh had continued to try and fail at replacing him.
Just three years ago, the Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round, thinking he might be their next franchise quarterback. As we now know, that was far from the case. And, Monday afternoon, he switched teams yet again as the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Being traded three times in just three years sets Pickett up to make the wrong kind of NFL history going forward. If he was to be traded a fourth time, he would tie the record for the most career times being traded -- and he's only in year four.
Kenny Pickett went from first-round Steelers quarterback to career journeyman in a hurry
The Browns had a logjam in their quarterback room that started with starter Joe Flacco and followed by a pair of rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. So, a Pickett trade made sense. But, what's a little funny is the fact that Pickett wasn't good enough for the Browns' roster, yet good enough to be traded once more.
It takes a unique type of NFL player to be talented enough to not only make an NFL roster but play a pivotal role, yet at the same time, be expendable for that very same franchise. The most odd part about this instance is that Pickett has now been traded twice in a matter of five months.
Two players have been traded four times in league history, and both names are very recognizable: wide receiver Brandin Cooks and running back Eric Dickerson.
One of those is not like the other, and I'm certain the latter surprises many of you as Dickerson is a Hall of Fame inductee. Yet, Dickerson was indeed traded on four separate occasions, shockingly enough.
Pickett has plenty of time to tie that record, too, which is both impressive and a little funny. In the end, if he's good enough to be coveted by other franchises, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Still, it's probably not exactly how he thought his career would wind up going after the Steelers made him the first quarterback off the board in 2022.