Kenny Pickett got his first start in silver and black as the Las Vegas Raiders took on his former team the Philadelphia Eagles. He helped put an end to the Eagles’ three-game losing streak with a forgettable performance filling in for an injured Geno Smith.
Pickett completed 15 of his 25 pass attempts for 64 yards, zero TDs and an INT. He also took four sacks in the Raiders’ 31-0 loss.
Things got so bad for the Raiders that the Eagles actually put in backup QB Tanner McKee, who replaced Pickett in Philadelphia.
Here was his lone interception to Zack Baun.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2022 first-round pick has already been traded three times in his young career. He initially wanted out of Pittsburgh after Russell Wilson signed with the team before the 2024 season. His one-year stint with the Eagles earned him a Super Bowl ring as a backup, then he was traded again to the Cleveland Browns to compete for the starting job.
The Browns drafted a pair of quarterbacks and signed Joe Flacco to compete with Pickett, who lost to Flacco as the Week 1 starter. The Browns then dealt him to the Las Vegas Raiders for a fifth-round pick, where he’s served as a backup all season.
Since getting injured and losing his starting job to Mason Rudolph in 2023, this was Pickett’s second start. He went 1-0 for the Eagles as their Week 17 starter against the Dallas Cowboys last year. He completed 10 of his 15 attempts for 143 yards and a touchdown.
His start today was just about what he always was with the Steelers. He protected the football for the most part, but he did almost nothing to elevate the team with very few passing yards and touchdowns, and multiple unnecessary sacks taken.
With the Raiders at 2-12, it’s very likely they will draft a quarterback in the first round with help from minority owner Tom Brady. Kenny Pickett will find himself in either a permanent backup role, or on the roster of his fifth team in five years.
