Pittsburgh Steelers fans will get to watch a familiar face take the field for the Las Vegas Raiders this week. With veteran quarterback Geno Smith nursing a shoulder injury, Kenny Pickett is expected to take center stage for a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pickett, who sat on the bench for the Eagles last season, has just one start since leaving Pittsburgh—a game that resulted in a 41-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 of 2024.
During the 2024 offseason, the Steelers decided to trade for Justin Fields. And shortly after signing veteran QB Russell Wilson, Pickett wanted out. Now the former Steelers quarterback will finally get a chance to show why Pittsburgh believed he was a first-round quarterback. It's also a chance to make the Steelers regret letting him go.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers QB might have a chance to revive his NFL career in Week 15
While the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders have nothing to play for entering the final month of the season, this is a golden opportunity for Pickett. Slated to be a massive two-score underdog against the 8-5 defending Super Bowl Champions, Pickett will be given a shot to pull off the upset against his former team.
And if he does the unthinkable, you can bet NFL teams will take notice.
Though Pickett's pre-draft evaluation came with mixed reviews, most fans can also admit that the former Pitt QB wasn't given a fair shake. Pickett was hamstrung by Matt Canada's pitiful offensive game plan in Pittsburgh before the Steelers pulled the plug on him after just two seasons.
In 25 starts, Pickett has led his teams to a 15-10 record. Pickett's career numbers are underwhelming, but he's had almost no opportunity to see the field since spurning the Steelers. That could change this week.
With nothing left to lose, the Steelers' 2022 first-round pick can put it all on the line. Last week, when entering the game in the second half for the injured Geno Smith, Pickett completed eight of 11 passes for 97 yards (8.8 yards per attempt).
This included a 25-yard strike to wide receiver Shedrick Jackson over the middle of the field for a touchdown. Pickett's brief performance was accompanied by a 129.7 passer rating in the 24-17 loss to the now 11-2 Denver Broncos.
Based on what he did in Pittsburgh in his first two NFL seasons (which wasn't much), Steelers fans expect Kenny Pickett to fall flat against the Eagles this week. But the busted first-round pick will at least have the chance to make his old team eat crow with a big performance that could salvage his fallen NFL career.