NFL Rumors: Steelers Insiders Admitted Kenny Pickett Didn't Get 'Adequate Support' | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Perhaps Kenny Pickett would have thrived with the Pittsburgh Steelers if the franchise provided him with the support necessary to succeed.

According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, "multiple sources within the Steelers organization acknowledged" that Pickett "was placed in poor situations during his two years in Pittsburgh, and wasn't given the adequate support required for a young quarterback."

The Steelers' signing of veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in free agency prompted Pickett to request a trade before he was shipped to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pryor wrote:

"Pickett, per multiple sources, believed the Steelers were going back on their initial plan to give him the first-team reps, placing him at a disadvantage in any competition. Pickett expressed that he would rather play elsewhere and make a fresh start than compete from second place in Pittsburgh. On March 11, the day legal tampering opened in the NFL, and less than 24 hours after Wilson's announcement, rumblings of Pickett's anger began reverberating around the league, per sources who were involved in free agency negotiations for available quarterbacks"

It's probably fair to say Pickett wasn't given the tools to succeed in Pittsburgh.

During the 2023 season, the team's offense, as a whole, was abysmal under offensive coordinator Matt Canada before he was fired. The offensive line had its struggles and the receiving unit was also inconsistent.

Pickett finished the season having completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,070 yards and six touchdowns against four interceptions in 12 games. He missed the team's final five games with an ankle injury.

That said, Pickett did enough to help keep the Steelers in playoff contention, and they finished the season 10-7, securing a berth in the wild-card round, where they fell to the Buffalo Bills.

But with a player of Wilson's caliber available this winter following his release from the Denver Broncos, it's no surprise the Steelers pursued him in free agency.

Pittsburgh thought signing Wilson "would have been a benefit to Kenny" and that it would "kick Kenny into gear," according to Pryor. Obviously, Pickett didn't feel the same way and he was sent to Philadelphia.

Pickett likely would have been Wilson's backup in Pittsburgh, though he would have at least been given a chance to compete for the starting role. Now in Philadelphia, Pickett will be Jalen Hurts' backup, and there won't be any sort of competition there.

At this point in Pickett's career, he's going to have to learn as much as possible from the likes of Hurts if he hopes to resume his career as an NFL starter.