In the spring of 2022, Kenny Pickett was selected as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ franchise quarterback of the future.
Now, there are questions rising as to whether he’ll hold on to the backup role for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, however, downplayed the recent practice trend of Tanner McKee getting more reps with the second team.
“Tanner is doing an awesome job,” Moore said Tuesday, via team transcript. “Kenny is doing an awesome job. Really two independent things. It's not necessarily that they're associated with each other. I think both of those guys are having really good camps.”
The first-year Eagles OC explained that it’s more so a mix-and-match situation with Jalen Hurts’ backups and that the young signal-callers are doing well with the reps situation.
“Sometimes when you are a younger guy, sometimes we like to put you in some different situations where you are with different guys on the field, whether it be with a second group or a first group, all those different things,” Moore said. “We try and mix and match these things to give yourself a different perspective for these guys.
“Kenny has handled it awesome. Tanner has handled it awesome. It's been really good for these guys.”
It’s still a development that will pique some summer interest.
Pickett was taken 20th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Steelers, while McKee was a sixth-round selection a season later by the Eagles.
There was a groundswell last preseason that McKee could unseat then-backup Marcus Mariota. He did not and never got a regular-season snap.
However, Pickett isn’t an experienced veteran. He’s entering his third NFL season after an unsuccessful run as Ben Roethlisberger’s hopeful successor.
Pickett was traded to the Eagles this spring after struggling through 12 starts for Pittsburgh in 2023. He threw for just six touchdowns and head coach Mike Tomlin elected to stay with Mason Rudolph as his starter down the stretch despite Pickett’s return from an ankle injury.
The positive for Pickett in joining the Eagles was that he could potentially continue to develop and earn a second chance as a starter somewhere else. If he's sent down the depth chart by McKee, 24, it would be a massive blow any Pickett, 26, comeback hopes.
Just how meaningful the recent practices reps are could be answered in the Eagles’ preseason opener Friday night against the host Baltimore Ravens.
“Preseason games I think are all about operation, smooth operation, making clean decisions, just moving the football,” Moore said of what he’s looking for from Pickett and McKee on Friday. “Circumstances sometimes change within preseason games. Understand those things, but just a clean operation to make great decisions. What they've been doing out here is all we need come Friday.”