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J.J. Watt Defends Kenny Pickett's Attitude Toward Steelers
Not everyone is critical of Kenny Pickett's departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers moved on from former first-round pick Kenny Pickett prior to ever competing with newly-signed veteran Russell Wilson. After Pickett's attitude toward the situation reportedly turned sour, the team decided it was best to deal him, trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles shortly after.
Most of the response from the media was critical, discussing the poor attitude and repsonding the arguement that Pickett did not earn any opportunity to not have a quarterback competition this offseason.
One name has taken a different approach. Former All-Pro J.J. Watt said during an interview with CBS Sports that he sees where Pickett was coming from, while at the same time, understanding the reason to trade him.
"I'm sure he is frustrated. I'm sure he feels like he never got the full proper opportunity to show (his potential) and develop, which is a thing that's happening in this league. We are not giving guys time to develop, grow and fight through adversity and come out the other side, because it's such a win-now world that we live in. So, I don't blame him at all for wanting an opportunity to compete somewhere or go somewhere and try something new," Watt said. "When you bring in a guy and say he's automatically the starter, and you don't even get a chance, I get it. I completely understand his side. But at the same time, I don't blame the Steelers at all. When an opportunity presents itself like that, a minimum contract for a guy that's won a Super Bowl, you've got to take it."
When it comes to the signing of Wilson, though, Watt is on board.
"I love it," he said. "They know they have an opportunity in Pittsburgh. They know that they need to make some moves to try to take that last step to make that jump. Basically, what they're saying to their fan base is, 'We're going all in to try and win. We want to win a Super Bowl. That's what we do here.' I think they've seen the narratives about no losing seasons but not making it past that first round of the playoffs. They're signifying to their fans, alright, we're going to go ahead and do it."
After moving on from Pickett, the Steelers traded for Justin Fields, who is not set to compete with Wilson. In 2024, it'll be the former Super Bowl champion leading the offense, with hopes of Fields developing behind him and being able to take a step forward in the future.
