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PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jalen Hurts was the man to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl last season. However, the quarterback who helped them win the game they needed to clinch the NFC East is the same one who could be the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback this season.
The 41-7 Week 17 win over the Dallas Cowboys was Kenny Pickett's only start in his only season with the Eagles. However, that performance in place of Hurts, who had left the previous week's loss to the Washington Commanders with a concussion, only solidified the feelings Philadelphia's coaches had developed of the quarterback during his abbreviated time with them.
"Kenny did a great job of being able to step in and play really good football when his time was called," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings. "Helped us win a game. Helped us be in a position to win a game against Washington. Helped us win a game against the Cowboys. We felt very comfortable with him as our backup, that if he had to go into the game, which he did, that he'd be able to succeed and put our team with an opportunity to win, which he did."
Pickett has gone from first-round draft pick to twice-traded in less than 35 months. The Eagles acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March of last year, then they traded him to the Browns last month in exchange for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick.
The trade to Philadelphia was done with the understanding Hurts was the established starter. The trade to the Browns was done with the possibility of Pickett at least having a chance to start for a team that has no other healthy options at the position, at least as April begins.
Pickett weathered the move to the Eagles and was rewarded with his own, albeit brief, moment. New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore, who was the Eagles' offensive coordinator a year ago, believes there was a maturation in the player over the time he was in Philadelphia.
"Transitions are huge for quarterbacks," Moore said. "Sometimes a fresh start can be very, very valuable. Kenny came to us obviously going through an experience where he played a lot at Pittsburgh really early. We were really excited to get him, and I feel like his growth just took off as the season progressed, and you can certainly see the player that showed up in OTAs versus the player who played against Dallas late in the year. A very different player. The confidence was there. I thought he played a really high level."
Pickett was 10-of-15 for 143 yards and a touchdowns in the one start for the Eagles, posting what remains the highest single-game passer rating (119.6) of his still-young career. However, he couldn't fully enjoy it, as he left the game in the third quarter with a rib injury.
Over five appearances, Pickett completing 25 of 42 passes for 291 yards with two touchdowns and an interception overall. Moore, though, believes there remains a more than viable starting quarterback in the player who will only be turning 27 in June.
"I think he's got a good arm," Moore said. "He's got a great kind of patience to him as far as his understanding of the game, his ability to process at a really high level. I think he's got some sneaky athleticism that allows him to make plays off schedule and out in space. He was very valuable to us to help us late in the year when Jalen wasn't available."
Pickett was 14-10 as a starter in Pittsburgh, completing 62.6% of his passes for 4,474 yards with 13 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 78.8 passer rating. His rookie season he had the Steelers in position for the playoffs by going 7-5 in his 12 starts, including four game-winning drives and three fourth-quarter comebacks.
The next year, Pickett posted the same record, with three more fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives. An ankle injury, however, cost him the final four games of the regular season, as well as the AFC wild card loss at the Buffalo Bills.
When the Steelers signed Russell Wilson a year ago, Pickett became expendable. That's how he ended up on the other side of Pennsylvania with the Eagles, who they saw a player accept a much different role in the interest of winning a Super Bowl.
"Good teammate," Sirianni said. "Again, you go through a year like we just went through, and I talked earlier about what was the common thread of the messaging at the end of the year from the team, and it's team. He's a great teammate and so a great person, a great football player. Yeah, you're getting a good man."
Chris Easterling can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kenny Pickett has believers from Eagles in Nick Sirianni, Kellen Moore
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The 41-7 Week 17 win over the Dallas Cowboys was Kenny Pickett's only start in his only season with the Eagles. However, that performance in place of Hurts, who had left the previous week's loss to the Washington Commanders with a concussion, only solidified the feelings Philadelphia's coaches had developed of the quarterback during his abbreviated time with them.
"Kenny did a great job of being able to step in and play really good football when his time was called," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings. "Helped us win a game. Helped us be in a position to win a game against Washington. Helped us win a game against the Cowboys. We felt very comfortable with him as our backup, that if he had to go into the game, which he did, that he'd be able to succeed and put our team with an opportunity to win, which he did."
Pickett has gone from first-round draft pick to twice-traded in less than 35 months. The Eagles acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March of last year, then they traded him to the Browns last month in exchange for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick.
The trade to Philadelphia was done with the understanding Hurts was the established starter. The trade to the Browns was done with the possibility of Pickett at least having a chance to start for a team that has no other healthy options at the position, at least as April begins.
Pickett weathered the move to the Eagles and was rewarded with his own, albeit brief, moment. New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore, who was the Eagles' offensive coordinator a year ago, believes there was a maturation in the player over the time he was in Philadelphia.
"Transitions are huge for quarterbacks," Moore said. "Sometimes a fresh start can be very, very valuable. Kenny came to us obviously going through an experience where he played a lot at Pittsburgh really early. We were really excited to get him, and I feel like his growth just took off as the season progressed, and you can certainly see the player that showed up in OTAs versus the player who played against Dallas late in the year. A very different player. The confidence was there. I thought he played a really high level."
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Pickett was 10-of-15 for 143 yards and a touchdowns in the one start for the Eagles, posting what remains the highest single-game passer rating (119.6) of his still-young career. However, he couldn't fully enjoy it, as he left the game in the third quarter with a rib injury.
Over five appearances, Pickett completing 25 of 42 passes for 291 yards with two touchdowns and an interception overall. Moore, though, believes there remains a more than viable starting quarterback in the player who will only be turning 27 in June.
"I think he's got a good arm," Moore said. "He's got a great kind of patience to him as far as his understanding of the game, his ability to process at a really high level. I think he's got some sneaky athleticism that allows him to make plays off schedule and out in space. He was very valuable to us to help us late in the year when Jalen wasn't available."
Pickett was 14-10 as a starter in Pittsburgh, completing 62.6% of his passes for 4,474 yards with 13 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 78.8 passer rating. His rookie season he had the Steelers in position for the playoffs by going 7-5 in his 12 starts, including four game-winning drives and three fourth-quarter comebacks.
The next year, Pickett posted the same record, with three more fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives. An ankle injury, however, cost him the final four games of the regular season, as well as the AFC wild card loss at the Buffalo Bills.
When the Steelers signed Russell Wilson a year ago, Pickett became expendable. That's how he ended up on the other side of Pennsylvania with the Eagles, who they saw a player accept a much different role in the interest of winning a Super Bowl.
"Good teammate," Sirianni said. "Again, you go through a year like we just went through, and I talked earlier about what was the common thread of the messaging at the end of the year from the team, and it's team. He's a great teammate and so a great person, a great football player. Yeah, you're getting a good man."
Chris Easterling can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Kenny Pickett has believers from Eagles in Nick Sirianni, Kellen Moore
Continue reading...
