Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett was once a fan favorite in the Steel City, but things have changed since his abrupt exit from the Steelers in March when he requested a trade following the signing of Russell Wilson. The Steelers obliged and sent the 2022 first-round pick cross-state to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pickett was traded to the Cleveland Browns this offseason, which sets up his return to Acrisure Stadium to face the Steelers in Week 6.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger believes Steelers Nation will give him a warm welcome back. Perhaps time will heal the fanbase’s animosity toward Pickett. Nevertheless, he is a Cleveland Brown now.
“If Kenny comes in, does he get booed or cheered? I think cheered,” Roethlisberger said on his *Footbahlin *podcast.
Fans at the Pitt-Kenn State game at Acrisure Stadium this past season voiced their displeasure by booing Pickett when his preseason highlights with the Eagles were displayed on the jumbotron. Pitt was highlighting former Panthers in the NFL. Many on social media thought it was disrespectful for fans to boo Pickett, especially with all that he did for the program.
Things didn’t pan out for Kenny Pickett with the Steelers, but he’s a Pitt legend. He led the Panthers to an 11-3 record and an ACC title in 2021. It was Pitt’s best season since 1981, when Dan Marino was the quarterback.
“Kenny Pickett was great for Pitt. Not so much for Steelers. If you’re booing him at a Pitt game. You need your fan card revoked. You’re there to support the college team. Not the Black & Gold,” Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan wrote on X.
Pickett may be in line to reclaim a starting quarterback role as the 2025 season approaches with the Cleveland Browns.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Pickett currently holds the top spot on the Browns’ quarterback depth chart as the team prepares for OTAs and minicamp.
“It’s a tough call before we’ve even seen the first practice of organized team activities, but I know Kenny Pickett heads in as the frontrunner to win the starting job at the outset,” Cabot said. “He’ll take the initial first-team reps in OTAs and probably the mandatory minicamp, and it seems like it’s his job to try to keep for now.”
One things for sure, it will be an electric atmosphere on the North Shore on Oct. 12 if Pickett starts for Cleveland.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Big Ben Wonders if Steelers Fans Will Cheer or Boo Kenny Pickett in Week 6
