Kenny Pickett's 14-10 Record: Why Kevin Colbert's Trying to Make It Sound Like a Championship
Alright, you guys gotta hear this. You know how every team, even our beloved Seahawks, has those draft picks that make you scratch your head later? Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers have one that's a certified, all-time bust, and their former GM, Kevin Colbert, is out here trying to rewrite history like it's a fantasy novel.
The #20 Pick That Went Sideways
Seriously, remember the 2022 NFL Draft? That was Colbert's last hurrah as GM for the Steelers, and man, what a going-away present it turned out to be. The whole draft class was apparently riddled with duds, but one pick, quarterback Kenny Pickett at No. 20 overall, apparently just stings differently. Think about that, No. 20 overall! That's a high price to pay, and the word on the street, according to the source, was that "nothing about his predraft profile" even screamed top-20 talent. Ouch.
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The proof is in the pudding, right? Pickett only lasted two seasons in Pittsburgh before getting shipped out. Two seasons! And since then, he's been bouncing around the NFL, picking up backup opportunities here and there. Not exactly the trajectory you want from your first-round signal-caller. We're talking about a guy who’s now on the "Mount Rushmore of NFL draft busts" for the Steelers, and frankly, it sounds like they waited way too long to even think about drafting a quarterback, let alone pick this one.
Colbert's Spin Zone is in Full Effect
But here's where it gets wild. Colbert, bless his heart, actually went on 93.7 The Fan to try and justify this pick. You read that right. He went on air to make a case for what the source calls "probably his worst pick as the Steelers GM." What do you even say when you’re cornered like that?
His defense? Get ready for it: "We projected Kenny to be a starter, and win, NFL quarterback," Colbert said. "Quite honestly, he lived up to that in his first two seasons with us. For us, he was 14-10 and trending in the right direction. So that's what we thought we had in Kenny. Kenny's a great young man, he's a great competitor. After he left the Steelers, he's bounced around in backup opportunities, and I still think, at a young age, Kenny can continue to build on what he did with us in those first two seasons."
Hold up, 14-10? And that means he "lived up to" being an NFL starter? Look, I'm all for positive thinking, but a 14-10 record over two seasons before becoming a league journeyman isn't exactly MVP material. "Trending in the right direction" when you're literally bouncing around as a backup? That’s some serious mental gymnastics right there. It just highlights how tough it is when you’re trying to defend a decision that, in hindsight, clearly didn’t pan out.
You know, for us fans here in the Emerald City, watching our Seahawks, you always wonder about those big draft day decisions. Every pick is a gamble, and sometimes, even the GMs who’ve seen it all, like Colbert, swing and miss spectacularly. What this whole Pickett saga really reminds you of is how critical those early picks are. It's not just about getting a good player, it's about not crippling your franchise with a bad one. It’s a testament to the pressure on these GMs, and how every single choice can define your legacy, for better or for worse. Let's just hope our own guys in the Lumen Field war room keep making those smart calls, because nobody wants their GM trying to defend a 'Mount Rushmore' bust a few years down the line. Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.