The QB Factory strikes again!

So, here’s one to file under “unexpected developments” ... the Philadelphia Eagles are trading for former Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback Kenny Pickett, according to a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter.

I promise this isn’t a joke.

The official trade terms:

EAGLES RECEIVE: Kenny Pickett, No. 120

STEELERS RECEIVE: No. 98, two 2025 7th-round picks

Hm. Not great!

Pickett, the No. 20 overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, has not exactly been a very good player to this point in his career. In fact, he’s been very bad.

He’s gone 14-10 as a starter, which isn’t awful. But the Steelers often won in spite of him, as his career statistics suggest: 62.6% completion, 6.3 pass yards per attempt, 13 TD, 13 INT, 78.8 passer rating. Pickett also ended up getting benched for Mason Rudolph by the end of the 2023 season.

Perhaps the Eagles can offer Pickett a better support system to succeed than he had in Pittsburgh. But there’s no small bridge to gap between him being pretty bad to a competent backup.

The Eagles clearly seem to believe the 25-year-old still has some untapped potential. The thinking here is that there could have been better ways to handle the backup QB position. Why not keep the draft capital and sign a veteran like Easton Stick? Why not put more faith in Tanner McKee after he flashed in the preseason last year? How’s he going to get better if he doesn’t get a chance to take QB2 reps (QB3 reps in the offseason are few and far between).

Pickett will get a chance to prove his doubters wrong this offseason. We’ll see if he can emerge as a quality backup option to Jalen Hurts.