Former Steelers Quarterback Finds Another New Home

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and University of Pittsburgh product Kenny Pickett is on the move again.

The Las Vegas Raiders acquired Pickett from the Cleveland Browns on Monday in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN.

The deal gives Las Vegas insurance behind Geno Smith after Aidan O’Connell fractured his wrist in the preseason finale. Head coach Pete Carroll said the Raiders wanted a passer with legitimate NFL experience rather than leaning only on rookie Cam Miller. Pickett fits that bill.

Pickett entered the league as the Steelers’ top draft choice in 2022, taken 20th overall. It was the highest Pittsburgh had selected a quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, as noted in team draft history.

After the Steelers signed Russell Wilson in 2024, Pickett requested a move and was shipped to the Philadelphia Eagles that March. He later landed in Cleveland, where he missed preseason action with a hamstring injury but was still viewed as a possible Week 1 option before Monday’s trade.

In 30 career games, including 25 starts, Pickett has thrown for 4,765 yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 62.4 percent of his attempts, McFadden reported. He holds a 15-10 record as a starter.

Now three and a half years removed from the 2022 draft, Pickett’s career path has taken an unusual turn. He and fellow draftee Sam Howell have each already been traded three times, a mark no other players have reached this early in their careers in at least the last three decades, according to Michael David Smith of Yahoo! Sports.

His Steelers tenure now a distant memory, Pickett heads further west searching for stability with the Raiders.

More NFL: ESPN Analyst Floats Steelers Trade For Former First-Round Quarterback