Kenny Pickett Won a Super Bowl Ring and Pittsburgh Still Can't Get Over It

Okay, so get this, 12s. Remember all the drama around Kenny Pickett and the Steelers? Well, it just took another wild turn. The guy they punted on after just two seasons, the one who was supposed to be Ben Roethlisberger's successor, he actually won a freakin' Super Bowl ring. Yeah, you read that right. And now, out of the blue, former Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert popped up on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, trying to defend his decision to draft Pickett in the first place. You can almost feel the collective facepalm happening in the Steel City right now.

Colbert Clings to the 14-10 Record

Colbert, who retired before Pickett was even traded, is out here talking like Pickett was some kind of future Hall of Famer for them. He straight up said, "We projected Kenny to be a start-and-win NFL quarterback, and quite honestly, he lived up to that in his first two seasons with us." Hold up, what? He then dropped the stat, claiming, "For us, he was 14-10 and trending in the right direction. So that’s what we thought we had in Kenny." It's wild to hear this, isn't it? The Steelers, legendary for their quarterback history, had a chance to draft Pitt product Dan Marino 21st overall way back before Terry Bradshaw's last year, and they passed. Then, after Roethlisberger hung up his cleats, they *pounced

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* on another Pitt guy, Kenny Pickett, 20th overall. And after two seasons, they just... got rid of him. So, for Colbert to come out now and say Pickett was "trending in the right direction" when the team clearly didn't believe that, it just screams of a legacy defense.

The Pickett Saga: Rings, Trades, and a Depth Chart Spot

But here's the kicker, the part that makes this whole thing even more unbelievable for those fans back in Pittsburgh. After the Steelers traded him away, Pickett spent the 2024 season in Philadelphia. Guess what? He snagged a Super Bowl ring there. A Super Bowl ring! The irony isn't lost when you remember Dan Marino, who the Steelers passed on decades ago, never won one. From the Eagles, the guy was traded to the Browns, then over to the Raiders for the 2025 season. Talk about a whirlwind tour. Now, Pickett's found himself on the Panthers’ depth chart, playing backup to Bryce Young. It's a journey, for sure. From being the anointed one to a backup, but with a Super Bowl ring in his pocket that his original team couldn't give him. What does this all mean for teams and their draft picks? It's a brutal reminder that sometimes, the talent is there, but the fit or the patience isn't. And when a former pick goes on to win big elsewhere, it's gotta sting for the team that let him go. Just goes to show, you never really know how these things will pan out.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.