OT: NFL

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Oh the deal is amazing, especially if Fields pans out. I just can’t believe they are making these moves. Admitting they screwed up taking Ol’ Small Hands after just two seasons? What a time to be alive.

Omar doesn't freak around. That sure is a change from the old regime.

[IUPNation]

I assume the plan is one year of Wilson and then Fields takes over.

Look at Field’s cap hit in 2025..it goes up substantially. The Yinzers better hope he catches on…what if Wilson has a career year?

[Chuck Norris]

Look at Field’s cap hit in 2025..it goes up substantially. The Yinzers better hope he catches on…what if Wilson has a career year?

If Wilson has the kind of year that makes it hard to move on from him, then it’s highly likely the team had an excellent season. That’s clearly a “problem” they’d be ok with. If the writing is on the wall that this isn’t going to work for Fields you move on. Draft a qb high next year and try not to miss again. Pickett set them back. They’re aggressively trying to fix the mistake. I like it.

[IUPNation]

If Wilson has the kind of year that makes it hard to move on from him, then it’s highly likely the team had an excellent season. That’s clearly a “problem” they’d be ok with. If the writing is on the wall that this isn’t going to work for Fields you move on. Draft a qb high next year and try not to miss again. Pickett set them back. They’re aggressively trying to fix the mistake. I like it.

Who is going to take Fields with a 25 million cap hit in 2025? The Yinzers may have to pay part of it to get somebody else to take him,

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Who is going to take Fields with a 25 million cap hit in 2025? The Yinzers may have to pay part of it to get somebody else to take him,

Jury is out on Fields. He was on some really bad Bears' teams and had to play behind dismal OLs.

[ShipAlum]

Tyson Bagent at this point is number 1 on the Bears depth chart with the trade of Fields to the Steelers.

[IUP24]

In his defense, he wasn't a Round 1 player. He was by default in a terrible draft class. Consider the first QB chosen almost never goes way down at No. 21 overall.

Put it this way ... last year he'd have been the 6th or 7th QB taken in that draft. Same this year.

I think he'll be fine as a QB2 (and make a good living).

His antics did rub many the wrong way.

I cautiously opened this lol.

Two things can be true about Pickett...

1) He isn't nearly good enough to elevate those around him and be a legitimate franchise level QB at the NFL level.
2) The Steelers did a horrific job of managing that entire situation from day one and he was destined to fail.

I do wonder - and we'll never know - what this entire saga looks like had he gone to Kansas or Colorado State. I thought I always had a pretty decent grip on how Pitt is viewed within the city of Pittsburgh in general (and I'm a Pitt fan saying this). But I guess I never understood the seething hate that many, including a ton of local media members, have for the city's university. I'm fairly sure Kenny Pickett never did anything on a personal level to any of these people - media or fans. The behavior on his way out the door is uniquely weird. I personally would prefer that the Steelers never take a player from Pitt ever again. This circus simply was not worth it. At the end of the day, I wish Pickett well. I chose to remember him for the good memories I enjoy of watching him play college football. Not this fiasco.

[IUP24]

Pickett was old for his class and only had one year of truly high level play in college. Big pair of red flags but I think some people managed to talk themselves into the idea of him being the next Burrow because they didn’t pay attention to the difference in competition level.

Pickett was the same age exiting college as every other year senior who stays for a 5th year. If he had an early birthday, he had an early birthday, but he had no additional games under his belt. In his true freshman year, he took snaps in 4 games. In today's game, he would have still been eligible for a redshirt. So I'm not sure his age has anything to do with anything. Sean Clifford played more college football games at Penn State and was older than Pickett leaving college. There were others too. But that seemingly never got talked about. I get one was a first round pick and the others weren't however.

Generally, quarterbacks play their way into the first round in their last year of college football. That's not unique to Pickett. Sure, it was a bad class. But your general point is that one high level of college football was a red flag. You can/should say that about a ton of guys. Most 1st round quarterbacks end up being busts.

I'm not defending Pickett. I think he was horrific at the NFL level. I'm trying to explain that there's more context than what you are just saying. You can say the exact same thing you wrote in your post about plenty of guys over the years.

[Fightingscot82]

Pickett was the same age exiting college as every other year senior who stays for a 5th year. If he had an early birthday, he had an early birthday, but he had no additional games under his belt. In his true freshman year, he took snaps in 4 games. In today's game, he would have still been eligible for a redshirt. So I'm not sure his age has anything to do with anything. Sean Clifford played more college football games at Penn State and was older than Pickett leaving college. There were others too. But that seemingly never got talked about. I get one was a first round pick and the others weren't however.

Generally, quarterbacks play their way into the first round in their last year of college football. That's not unique to Pickett. Sure, it was a bad class. But your general point is that one high level of college football was a red flag. You can/should say that about a ton of guys. Most 1st round quarterbacks end up being busts.

I'm not defending Pickett. I think he was horrific at the NFL level. I'm trying to explain that there's more context than what you are just saying. You can say the exact same thing you wrote in your post about plenty of guys over the years.

I think Pickett's great last year at Pitt made people struggle to come up with reasons to avoid him, thus his age, hand size, etc.

[Ram040506]

Who is going to take Fields with a 25 million cap hit in 2025? The Yinzers may have to pay part of it to get somebody else to take him,

Not 100% certain, but picking up that 5th year option at 25 mill or whatever it is, is only guaranteed for injury. Pittsburgh can waive him or simply trade him at that point. If the other team really likes him $25 mill is a bargain today in the NFL for a starting QB.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Not 100% certain, but picking up that 5th year option at 25 mill or whatever it is, is only guaranteed for injury. Pittsburgh can waive him or simply trade him at that point. If the other team really likes him $25 mill is a bargain today in the NFL for a starting QB.

Hopefullly this will be a 'redshirt' year for Fields where he can watch and learn the NFL game better.

We see -- year after year after year -- these highly successful college QBs get drafted high by the dregs of the NFL. They get thrown in to the fire way too soon -- with very little talent and protection. For most, it's the first time in their playing careers they are unsuccessful, and their confidence goes in the tank. Chicago is going to do it again here real shortly with the kid from USC.

There are a lot of Justin Fields-type QBs who are born again after they land at another team. The Steelers are a tremendously more stable and overall better situation for Fields.

As you said, $25m for a starting QB is chump change in the NFL. Consider Denver is paying Russell Wilson $38m this upcoming season to NOT play for them.

[IUP24]

I think Pickett's great last year at Pitt made people struggle to come up with reasons to avoid him, thus his age, hand size, etc.

His age has nothing to do with anything. Again, Kenny Pickett was in college for 5 years. He played in 4 games as a true freshman, which would have made him eligible for a redshirt if those rules existed then. He may have had an early birthday, but he had no more or less football than any other individual who is a 5th year senior, which we will eventually have again instead of calling them a "Graduate Student." I think you all remember when the graphics on the screen used to read RS Senior. That's what Pickett was.

The only item I'll say regarding his hand size was that he generally played very poorly when there was bad weather. I watched every college game of his career - most in person. And that was the general theme when there was any precipitation. Was that the reason why? None of us know.

But as I said in a previous post, players at that position play their way into the first round in their last year of college all the time. He isn't the only guy to do that. And most 1st round QBs are busts and have far more hype than he ever did coming out of Pitt. Not defending his play; he was horrific. There's just more context to the story.

[iupgroundhog]

Two things can be true about Pickett...

1) He isn't nearly good enough to elevate those around him and be a legitimate franchise level QB at the NFL level.
2) The Steelers did a horrific job of managing that entire situation from day one and he was destined to fail.

I'm not sure whether #1 and #2 are in the correct order. I also think that the jury is out on #1.

I'm not a Steelers fan and I never followed the guy at Pitt. But it seems to me that Pickett missed out on the development phase transitioning to the NFL. The Steelers thrust him into the starter's role before his time. He's 25, has had 2 pro years of experience. He's started 24 NFL games, I believe. There are guys who end up being pretty good NFL QB's who never started even one game by that point in their NFL career.

It will be interesting to see how his career progresses from here on out.

[Fightingscot82]

His age has nothing to do with anything. Again, Kenny Pickett was in college for 5 years. He played in 4 games as a true freshman, which would have made him eligible for a redshirt if those rules existed then. He may have had an early birthday, but he had no more or less football than any other individual who is a 5th year senior, which we will eventually have again instead of calling them a "Graduate Student." I think you all remember when the graphics on the screen used to read RS Senior. That's what Pickett was.

The only item I'll say regarding his hand size was that he generally played very poorly when there was bad weather. I watched every college game of his career - most in person. And that was the general theme when there was any precipitation. Was that the reason why? None of us know.

But as I said in a previous post, players at that position play their way into the first round in their last year of college all the time. He isn't the only guy to do that. And most 1st round QBs are busts and have far more hype than he ever did coming out of Pitt. Not defending his play; he was horrific. There's just more context to the story.

I think you misinterpreted my point. I was fine with Pickett but I felt like the media and some others gave cheap shot excuses as to why he wasn't a first rounder.

[IUP24]

I'm not sure whether #1 and #2 are in the correct order. I also think that the jury is out on #1.

I'm not a Steelers fan and I never followed the guy at Pitt. But it seems to me that Pickett missed out on the development phase transitioning to the NFL. The Steelers thrust him into the starter's role before his time. He's 25, has had 2 pro years of experience. He's started 24 NFL games, I believe. There are guys who end up being pretty good NFL QB's who never started even one game by that point in their NFL career.

It will be interesting to see how his career progresses from here on out.

I'm with you. But if I put #2 before #1 I would have been labeled as an excuse maker who is a Pitt homer. I'm not. He stunk for the Steelers. I really wanted it to work out, but I'm glad the circus is over. But I don't believe the personal attacks from many in the media and fanbase are warranted. He didn't work out - for many reasons. Time for many to just move on.

I think the entire process with how they handled the quarterback situation dates back to before Ben Roethlisberger even retired.