Former Pitt QB Could Be Kenny Pickett's Next OC

PITTSBURGH — Two former Pitt Panthers quarterbacks could unite as members of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Former Pitt quarterback and former Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko has officially become the next offensive coordinator for the Raiders, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Feb. 15.

Janocko will once again follow new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak. Janocko and Kubiak were on the same staff with the Minnesota Vikings from 2019-21, the New Orleans Saints in 2024 and won Super Bowl LX together with the Seahawks in 2025.

This is also the first coordinator position Janocko will have occupied. He was previously an assistant with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in addition to his time with the Seahawks, Saints and Vikings in the NFL, and held positions at the college level with Rutgers and Mercyhurst.

Raiders now have finalized their deal to make Seahawks QB coach Andrew Janocko their offensive coordinator. Deal and hire now official. https://t.co/963lc8XENO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 15, 2026

Janocko is now the second former Pitt quarterback on the Raiders. Former Panthers star quarterback Kenny Pickett is currently on Las Vegas' roster, but there's a chance that the two won't work together next season.

According to Spotrac, Pickett's rookie contract has concluded, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the open period begins on March 11. Because the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, he did have a fifth-year option available, but it was declined during his time with the Cleveland Browns.

Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kenny Pickett (15) throws the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If the Raiders were to bring Pickett back in 2026, it would still be very unlikely that he would start as Janocko's lead quarterback. The Raiders currently possess the first overall pick in April's NFL Draft, held in Pittsburgh, and the projected top pick is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who won the national championship and the Heisman Trophy in his lone season with the Hoosiers.

Pickett threw a pass in six games for Las Vegas in 2025, and recorded 188 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

The Tail of Two Pitt Careers

Nov. 1, 2008; South Bend, IN, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers holder Andrew Janocko (4) kicker Conor Lee (37) and fullback Conredge Collins (30) celebrate after Lee kicked a field goal to beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 36-33 in four overtimes at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Janocko and Pickett had very different experiences as quarterbacks at Pitt.

Janocko joined the Panthers as a walk-on from Clearfield, Pa. He spent his entire college career as a backup quarterback and the primary holder on special teams. He never completed a pass and immediately went into coaching after college.

On the other hand, Pickett led Pitt to an ACC Championship victory, was a Heisman Trophy finalist and finished his tenure with 12,303 passing yards, 81 passing touchdowns, 32 interceptions, 809 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in 52 career games.

Pickett currently holds the Pitt program record for most passing yards in a game (519), in a season (4,319), in a career and on a single play (96); the most completions in a game (39), in a season (334) and in a career (1,045); the most touchdown passes in a season (42) and in a career; and the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (20).

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