Former Steelers great Terry Bradshaw continues to stump for former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, who washed out of Pittsburgh after just two seasons.
Speaking on the "To The Point – Home Services Podcast," in an interview published last week, Bradshaw blamed the Steelers for not building around Pickett, leading to the quarterback's struggles.
"A first-rounder, got rid of him after two years. And they're still looking for a quarterback. They didn't even do anything to build around him," Bradshaw said.
It's not a new take from Bradshaw, who has repeatedly suggested the club failed the young QB more than the passer busted.
The Steelers drafted Pickett a year after Ben Roethlisberger retired. Selecting the Pitt product was viewed by many as a reach at the time, and Pickett rarely showed the traits many first-rounders possess. Pittsburgh traded the QB to Philadelphia in 2024.
There is some truth to Bradshaw's comments, as the Steelers employed a subpar offensive line in front of Pickett, and coordinator Matt Canada, fired midway through the QB's first season, was a disaster. Pittsburgh had drafted Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth the previous season and took George Pickens in the second round after selecting Pickett.
Bradshaw lumped Pickett into comments about QBs who have improved after moving to greener pastures, noting Baker Mayfield's revitalization in Tampa Bay and Sam Darnold's renaissance in Minnesota.
"You draft a quarterback in the first round. He is going to be successful," Bradshaw said. "But you've gotta surround him with the kind of talent he had in college. And they don't do it, and they call him a bust."
It's undoubtedly the case that teams bust more often than players -- from selecting a player or position too highly to not building a structure for success. However, the crème de la crème of QBs lift the entire roster out of adverse situations. Pickett didn't do that in Pittsburgh.
The former first-rounder has another shot this season in Cleveland. He's battling for a starting gig with three others -- Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. While Kevin Stefanski's offense is worlds better than what Pickett ran in Pittsburgh, it's not exactly a cushy operation filled with weapons. We'll see if the Cleveland infrastructure turns out better for Pickett than what he played with in Pittsburgh, or whether he's destined for a backup role for the bulk of his NFL career.
