Kenny Pickett Steelers' latest hit is the worst insult yet, and for good reason

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to their in-state rival Philadelphia Eagles this offseason after signing Russell Wilson to a cheap one-year deal. This freed up roster space and picks for a later trade in which they acquired Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears.

Fields has since assumed the role of the Steelers quarterback of the future. He won his first three starts and Mike Tomlin hasn't looked back, at least not yet. Fields has excelled in Arthur Smith's offense, providing a dual-threat approach that Pittsburgh had previously lacked.

Pickett had some fine moments as a Steeler, but ultimately he couldn't handle the pressure of a local product who was considered the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. Pickett is not a Hall of Fame talent and never will be. That's fine, but not for Steelers fans.

The narrative circulating in the Steel City is that Pickett left his team, first late in the season and then in the offseason. Instead of applying for a starting spot, Pickett took the easy way out, which ironically was a reserve spot on his childhood team. Pickett is from southern New Jersey and grew up an Eagles fan.

Instead of staying with the Steelers, Pickett took the first ticket out of town. However, not every player has this luxury. Dan Moore Jr. is a prime example, as Mike Prisuta points out in a recent article in Pittsburgh Magazine.

Moore Jr. is loathed by Steelers fans, but he has a solid spot on the roster because of his flexibility and reliability at multiple offensive line positions. When the going gets tough, Moore Jr. doesn't run and hide like Pickett. He faced this adversity head on.

“If there was anyone who had the right to pull a Pickett and sulk over the past few seasons, it's Moore, a former fourth-round pick who started 16 games as a rookie in 2021 and 17 more in 2022,” Prisuta wrote. “Instead of taking it personally when players with higher pedigree were acquired at the expense of valuable draft capital at the position he plays, Moore kept his head down and kept working.”

Moore Jr. will be the underdog at some point, but he has consistently earned a starting spot in Pittsburgh. Pickett would have started the season for the Steelers if he had remained patient. But the Steelers should thank him because his move to Philly opened a door for Fields.

Let's hope this is the last Pickett hit in Pittsburgh, as they have an exciting football team to talk about themselves and Kenny is nowhere to be found.