Weeks away from training camps opening, all 2022 first-round picks are now under contract. Kenny Pickett concluded this signing period by agreeing to terms on his rookie deal Thursday morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Pickett’s Pittsburgh contract runs through 2025, with the Steelers having a fifth-year option to exercise by May of that year. Pickett’s slot deal is expected to pay him approximately $14MM. That is down from the contract Ben Roethlisberger signed in August 2004 (six years, $22.26MM), when first-rounders received far more money, but the franchise’s heir apparent will still collect a nice chunk of change to start his career.
The structure of this deal is believed to have held up the signing. But there will be no holdout drama with this year’s first-round class. While the slot system introduced in 2011 streamlined rookie signings, select first-rounders have gone into training camp without deals in the years since. Pickett can now focus solely on attempting to win the Steelers’ starting job.
Like Roethlisberger 18 years ago, Pickett may enter the season as a backup. Free agency addition Mitchell Trubisky worked ahead of the Pitt-produced QB throughout minicamp. Although things can certainly change once more relevant practices and then preseason games commence, the Steelers may be content letting Pickett begin his development on the sideline.
Pickett, 24, started four seasons with the ACC program and played in five, taking advantage of the additional eligibility year the NCAA allowed following the pandemic-altered 2020 slate. Pickett capitalized on the extra year, breaking through with 42 touchdown passes (with just seven interceptions) and 4,319 yards in 2021. This also came with significant bumps in completion percentage (67%) and yards per attempt (8.7).
The production enticed the Steelers to draft the QB that played in their home stadium 20th overall — two rounds before any other passer was chosen this year. That draft slot positions Pickett to begin his QB1 run before the passers who went off the board a day later. When the Steelers make the transition will be one of the top storylines associated with the AFC North team this season.
This signing also finishes up the Steelers’ draft-choice agreements for 2022. Here is Pittsburgh’s class:
Round 1: No. 20 Kenny Pickett, QB (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 2: No. 52 George Pickens, WR (Georgia) (signed)
Round 3: No. 84 DeMarvin Leal, DE (Texas A&M) (signed)
Round 4: No. 138 Calvin Austin III, WR (Memphis) (signed)
Round 6: No. 208 (from Chiefs) Connor Heyward, TE (Michigan State) (signed)
Round 7: No. 225 (from Jets) Mark Robinson, LB (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 7: No. 241 Chris Oladokun, QB (South Dakota State) (signed)
He would have signed earlier, but they needed to find a small enough pen for him to hold.
What does Pickett bring to the table that Trubisky doesn’t?
The eternal sunshine of the spotless NFL track record.
It would be nice if this article were actually linked to the Steelers team feed.
Finally time for the Browns to have the upper hand in this heated rivalry!
I don’t know if Brissett is really much of an improvement over Trubisky. So we’ll see who has the upper hand, on paper the Browns are more talented but the Steelers never seem to suck as much as they should. I’m a Vikings fan so I have no dog in it but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers and Browns were fighting for last in that division.
The good news is, Trubisky is better than Brissett lol
No he’s not, watched almost every game he played in Chicago, his accuracy is maddening and his pocket presence and awareness left a lot to be desired. At least Brissett will have a decent line, the Steelers not so much.
Upper hand? On paper? Congrats. You should have had the upper hand last year, too. How did that go?
A “heated rivalry” where one team has dominated for it’s entire existence and it’s just now “finally” time for the other team to THEORETICALLY “have the upper hand”.
Sad, but funny, but also sad…and kinda funny.
He’s not Burrow…nor Herbert.
But aside from having 10% less arm strength than you’d like to see, he seems to have as much promise as any other recent QB prospect physically and have more mental tools than most.