The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and the relationship was short-lived. He became the team’s starting quarterback a month into his rookie year, taking over for a struggling Mitch Trubisky in the second half of a loss to the New York Jets. His first start came in a 38-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Pickett went 14-10 as a starter in Pittsburgh, but the offense struggled immensely in those 24 games. After suffering an injury against the Arizona Cardinals, Pickett would never play a snap for the Steelers again. The Steelers rode Mason Rudolph for the final three games of the season to get to 10-7 and sneak into the playoffs. Pickett reportedly refused to dress as the backup for the Steelers’ game against the Seahawks, which felt like a big domino to fall in what were his final days as a Steeler. After Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson, Pickett requested a trade, and the Steelers sent him to the Philadelphia Eagles – one move a Hall of Fame quarterback disagreed with.

Joining To The Point Home Services, Terry Bradshaw said the Steelers didn’t do anything to help Pickett.

“[The] Steelers getting rid of Kenny Pickett,” Bradshaw said. “A first-rounder. [They] got rid of him after two years. And they’re still looking for a quarterback. They didn’t even do anything to build around him.”

Bradshaw has come to the defense of Pickett multiple times, both when he was still with the Steelers and since the trade. Speaking on 103.7 The Buzz in Arkansas earlier this offseason, Bradshaw said the Steelers failed Pickett.

“I liked Kenny Pickett,” Bradshaw said. “I liked him at Pitt. I know him. I know what he’s like. When they got him to Pittsburgh, they didn’t protect him, they didn’t get him an offensive line. They wanted to run the football, but they didn’t have an offensive line that could protect, and they didn’t have weapons. He had no wide receivers to speak of… Therefore, they’re saying Kenny Pickett is a failure. He wasn’t a failure, the Steelers were a failure.”

The Steelers could face off against their former first-round pick should he earn the starting job with the Cleveland Browns. The first matchup between the two teams will be in Week 16 in Pittsburgh.