The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59, and their franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts was delivering for the most important snaps of the game. Once the game was out of reach, they let Kenny Pickett check in. Eventually, time ran out, and all their names were etched into history.
The Los Angeles Rams may need a more definitive answer at quarterback, as Matthew Stafford’s name has been linked in many rumors this off-season. Could the Rams look at Pickett to be their quarterback of the future?
Let’s look at the positives and why they would make this move. The most alluring part of Pickett is that he just had a season where he was able to sit and learn behind Hurts, all the way up to a championship. One could expect that this type of season, where he sat behind one of the most composed quarterbacks in the league, would lead to a lot of maturity and understanding of his role on offense.
In his first two years in the league, he got plenty of opportunities to make plays as the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A lot of the times, he’d get too antsy behind his offensive line and try to go for the home run throw and throw an interception in the process. Alternatively, sometimes on offense, he’d be too conservative, and the Steelers’ offense would be incompetent and moving the ball downfield.
The hope is that these aspects of his game have equalled out, and entering his fourth year in the league, he’s able to play with more confidence after winning the big game. This is a move for the Rams’ future, as Pickett is undoubtedly a downgrade from Stafford. However, Pickett is only 26, and by the time Stafford would be retired, Pickett would have had many years to settle himself in Sean McVay’s offense.
Pickett’s career numbers aren’t very inspiring. Through three years in the NFL, he has 4,765 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The tape that he’s produced so far on the field hasn’t been the most impressive, but he’s had flashes of talent where his first-round pick status is warranted.