NFL reporter rips recent defense of Eagles' Kenny Pickett

NFL reporter Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk/NBC Sports scoffed at defenses of former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and current Philadelphia Eagles backup Kenny Pickett recently offered by private quarterbacks coach Tony Racioppi.

"How do I put this as gently as possible? Did the Steelers need to make him look bad? Did he need any help to look bad?" Florio directly said about Pickett during a Wednesday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, as shared by Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot.

A 2022 first-round draft pick, Pickett went 14-10 as a starter with Pittsburgh but often left much to be desired with his play when healthy. Pro Football Reference notes that the 26-year-old finished this past regular season ranked 28th in the league among qualified players with a 38.1 adjusted QBR and 28th with a 40.3 percent passing success rate.

Additionally, Pickett was accused of refusing to dress as an emergency third quarterback for Pittsburgh's Week 17 game this past December when Mason Rudolph was starting. Pickett also reportedly handled the team's offseason signing of veteran Russell Wilson poorly before the Steelers traded the third-year pro to the Eagles in March.

While Racioppi thinks Pickett was a victim of "BS narratives" pushed by certain individuals, Florio suggested the signal-caller did little to cement himself as a long-term answer at the position with Pittsburgh.

"He did nothing special," Florio said about Pickett's Steelers tenure. "It was all meat and potatoes. Simple, basic stuff. So, I get why they did it. And it had to be bad for the Steelers to admit failure of a first-round pick at the quarterback position and throw him overboard after two years. I don't think he needs any help as it relates to narratives that make him look bad. He made himself look bad in the two years he had to show that he could be an NFL quarterback at a high level."

Pickett should enjoy somewhat of a career reset serving as a backup behind Philadelphia starter Jalen Hurts until further notice.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie could consider blowing things up in January 2025 if his team disappoints for a second straight year, however, and such a scenario could open the door for Pickett or somebody else to become Philadelphia's new QB1 as soon as next offseason.