During the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to flip their offense on its’ head. They let Mason Rudolph and many others walk in free agency while trading Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. They proceeded to add Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to their offense.
For the Eagles, trading for Pickett made a ton of sense in the moment as a buy low quarterback depth option. He’s a former first-round pick that never really got a chance to showcase his skills as he was handcuffed in a Matt Canada offense.
So the Eagles took a chance on him for some pick swaps and late round picks.
But Pickett has struggled all offseason. He’s looked outmatched and overwhelmed, just like he did in Pittsburgh for his stint there.
Kenny Pickett breathes sigh of relief as Eagles cut Will Grier, finalize 2024 QB room
This led to some speculation that the Eagles might not even give Pickett a chance in the regular season. The odds that they would cut him were low, but until they finalized their quarterback room, that option was always open for the Eagles.
There was also the chance that they could trade him. Plenty of teams have a need for backup quarterbacks.
But this week, the Eagles began making some final roster cuts and one of the names that was on the list of cuts was quarterback Will Grier. That brings the Eagles’ quarterback room down to three names, the usual amount that an NFL team will carry: Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee and Pickett.
Grier had signed with the Eagles in March, with a connection to Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. This connection made some hopeful that Grier would crack the final roster, but he simply just wasn’t cut for the team.
Grier, 29, has looked pretty bad for the majority of his professional career. He hasn’t earned much of a chance to play in the regular season, largely because the last time he was given that chance in 2019, he was terrible.
Grier is going to be on the outside looking in as he nears 30. His chances of making an NFL roster get worse with each passing season.
This should make Pickett feel a ton more secure in his standing with the Eagles. While it was never a real thought that Pickett would be cut, that thought likely sits in the mind of all backups until the roster is finalized. Pickett is finally able to breathe a big sigh of relief.