Emergence Of Former Steelers QB Mason Rudolph Caused Internal Conflict: Kenny Pickett Was "Jealous"

The Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback room has been completely turned upside down by General Manager Omar Khan. The 2024 offseason has seen the fan base say goodbye to Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. Their departures all happened at different times, but the result ended up being Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen landing in the Steel City. Despite the 2023 campaign being in the past, conversations have not stopped about what really went wrong with the 2022 first-round selection in Pickett. HIs personal quarterback coach even recently stated that the organization pushed a false narrative about the signal-caller.

Pickett was traded across the state to the Philadelphia Eagles and will work as a backup to Jalen Hurts. NBC Sports insider Mike Florio went on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday to discuss the narrative claim made by Tony Racioppi and completely blasted the coach's take on The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller. The conversation continued on the show with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller on Thursday.

Ray Fittipaldo, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, joined the duo to discuss several football topics. He had a lot to say about the Pickett news in recent days. It's clear to Fittipaldo that there was a significant internal divide, and still is to this day, regarding Pickett. Ultimately, the toxic trait of jealousy is what could have ended Pickett's time with the team, even before the 2023 season ended.

"What did he learn when he watched Mason? Was that Week 16 or Week 17? I forget, but you know, Kenny didn't handle himself well there, came off looking bad, came off looking like he was a little bit jealous of Mason I thought," Fittipaldo said. "You know, you're in the middle of a playoff push and you're kind of out there saying stuff for yourself, so that maybe irked people a little bit."

Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL and while jealousy and Pickett's actions certainly could have played a role in his eventual departure, he simply didn't get it done on the field and also suffered several injuries. A combination of those factors and Rudolph's strong play could very well have led to the Steelers accepting that he was not the guy for the future.

It may take several years to comprehend which party came out as the winner following Pittsburgh and Pickett's breakup. Without an injury to Hurts, Pickett will lurk on the sidelines as a backup and not have an opportunity to prove he is a starting-caliber NFL quarterback. The Steelers aren't in a great spot either, as all three of the current signal-callers on the roster are under contract for just one year.

The marriage between Pickett and the Steelers didn't just end in a separation; it was a full-on divorce. As professionals, both parties may not speak too much about what happened at the end of the 2023 season, but Fittipaldo's comments are quite intriguing. He had a front row seat for everything happening, and it makes sense to get rid of Pickett if he was jealous and didn't have the team's best interest overall. 

Steelers Hoping Wilson Finds Former Pro Bowl Self

This will turn out extremely well for Pittsburgh if Wilson performs at a high level with Arthur Smith's run-heavy, play-action offense. It's fair to say that Pickett never got a chance with a competent play-caller, but if he had played his cards differently, he might be sitting in the spot that Fields is expected to be in. Circle your calendars for Week 15 as the Steelers will travel to play the Eagles in Philadelphia.

Do you think Pickett was jealous of Rudolph's success? Let us know in the comments below!

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