Kevin Colbert still believes Kenny Pickett pick was right despite QB’s career path

The Pittsburgh Steelers used the 20th overall pick on Kenny Pickett in 2022, and two years later he was out of town. Most people call that a bust. Kevin Colbert calls it a reasonable decision that just didn’t age well.

The former Steelers general manager, who made that pick, went to bat for Pickett in comments shared recently. Colbert still thinks the evaluation was sound at the time, and he’s not ready to write Pickett off completely.

From Colbert’s perspective, Pickett did exactly what they asked. He went 14-10 as a starter in two seasons. That’s a winning record in a division where wins are hard to come by. The problem is the numbers behind that record weren’t great. Pickett threw for 4,953 yards with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in those two years. The offense never really opened up under him, and the Steelers moved on after they got a look at what they had.

What went wrong for Pickett in Pittsburgh

The Steelers traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles after they signed Russell Wilson and drafted Justin Fields. That move told you everything about how the team felt. Pickett spent one year as a backup in Philly, then got moved to Cleveland, then to Las Vegas. He’s played 36 total NFL games now with 27 starts. His career numbers look flat: 16 wins, 11 losses, 16 touchdowns, 16 interceptions.

Pickett signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers this offseason. He’s listed as Bryce Young’s backup right now. But if Young gets hurt or struggles like he did earlier in his career, Pickett could get another shot.

Colbert said he wouldn’t be surprised if that happens. He described Pickett as a great competitor and a young player who can still build on what he showed in Pittsburgh. It’s a generous read of the situation, but Colbert has a point about one thing. A 14-10 record isn’t nothing. The Steelers just decided they wanted more than game management from the quarterback spot, and Pickett couldn’t give them that.

Now he’s in Carolina, a franchise that hasn’t had stable quarterback play for years. The backup role might be his ceiling for now. But in the NFL, one injury can change everything. If Pickett gets another chance and plays well, Colbert’s defense of the pick starts to look less like loyalty and more like foresight. For now, it’s mostly just an old GM sticking by his guy.