A Potential Veteran Quarterback to Round Out the Saints Roster
The New Orleans Saints have continued to prepare for the upcoming season by making drastic changes to their lineup of quarterbacks. Incoming through the NFL Draft was 25-year-old Tyler Shough then outgoing days later was Ben DiNucci after only two months on the team. After daily speculation about his future as a Saint, Quarterback Derek Carr put all those rumors to rest by announcing his retirement not only from the team but the entire organization. Quarterbacks carried over from the previously listed, backup QBs, 24-year-old Spencer Rattler and 26-year-old Jack Haener, then the signing of undrafted free agent 23-year-old Hunter Dekkers. At this point, there are currently four quarterbacks in New Orleans who are all under the age of 27 years, and only 15 NFL games played among them. Management and the coaching staff are determined to pursue players in their mid-20s; however, the drawback is the lack of professional on-field experience. The next decision, perhaps the final “game piece on the board” should be a gentleman who is young and of course has several NFL seasons under his belt.
This “piece” should be 26-year-old Kenny Pickett who started his professional football career when he was acquired during the first round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his first two years with the team, he played 25 games and started 24 of those games, resulting in a 62.6% completion rate and 13 touchdowns. He marked his initial professional year by being ranked sixth out of 10th in the NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Voting and within that group was one of two quarterbacks, the other being Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers. In March 2024, Kenny was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles where he was a backup QB and played only five games of that season during which he scored two touchdowns. He was also able to participate in the final moments of Super Bowl LIX in which they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. Following the championship, in exchange for a fifth-round pick during the recent draft and another QB, Kenny was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
When you look at Pickett’s professional stats, it’s obvious that this talented player, if presented with the opportunity, could have the potential to lead this team or at least be among the starting QBs. He doesn’t deserve to ride the same bench with a veteran player like Joe Flacco or be overshadowed by the media attention on Shedeur Sanders. Kenny’s consistency and performance throughout three seasons in the league have proved that there is untapped talent which he could demonstrate if given the chance. Many Saints fans will admit that another important aspect that’s missing from the QB position is “connection” with the coaching staff and the team itself. This could easily be remedied with Pickett’s experience playing under current head coach Kellen Moore, who was the offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles during their recent championship win. The Saints could enter the Moore/Pickett era resulting in a Super Bowl victory.
