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The Steelers decided to move on from quarterback Kenny Pickett. The Eagles decided to move him.
Almost as surprising as Pittsburgh’s pivot from Pickett (and Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky) to Russell Wilson is Philadelphia’s decision to accept the 2022 first-round pick. His skill set doesn’t fit perfectly with the abilities of starter Jalen Hurts , making the transition from QB1 to QB2 less jarring for the rest of the offense.
It hurts, most importantly, he runs the ball much more than Pickett. In 2023, Hurts had 157 rushing attempts for 650 yards, that’s 9.23 rushes per game and 38.2 yards per game. Pickett, on the other hand, ran the ball 42 times for 54 yards in 12 games last year: 3.5 attempts per game and 4.5 yards per game.
Pickett ran further toward Pitt, but not by much. He had 97 attempts for 241 yards in his final year with the Panthers. It’s obvious, based on his two years in the NFL, that he lacks the drive to outplay quality NFL defenders.
The question is whether, under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, quarterbacks will run less in Philadelphia. While it’s hard to imagine the Eagles abandoning the Brotherly Shove/Tush Push since they do it so well, it’s fair to wonder if the decision to trade for Pickett means the Eagles will use Hurts in a way that involves less running.
Although it was never revealed, Hurts had a knee injury that bothered him for much of the 2023 season. The team could be making a strategic decision to better protect the quarterback in 2024, especially since they now have running back Saquon Barkley to receive and hit with the ball in their hands.
We’ll find out how different, or not, the Eagles’ offense is when the season rolls around. For now, Marcus Mariota’s switch to Kenny Pickett as Jalen Hurts’ backup could be a clue as to how Philadelphia’s offense will attack defenses in a high-stakes year for head coach Nick Sirianni.