CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala cited a former Pittsburgh Steelers employee who said the team drafted Kenny Pickett in 2022 to avoid repeating the mistake of passing on Dan Marino in 1983. The insight came during a discussion on 93.7 The Fan. Kinkhabwala also noted Pickett faced challenging circumstances in Pittsburgh.
Aditi Kinkhabwala shared the perspective while speaking with 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller. The ex-employee told her, “Well, they didn’t wanna make the same mistake that they made with Marino.” In 1983, the Steelers held the 21st pick and selected Texas Tech defensive tackle Gabe Rivera over hometown quarterback Dan Marino from Pitt. Rivera suffered paralysis in a drunk driving accident as a rookie and never played, while Marino became a Hall of Famer. When Pickett fell to No. 20 in 2022, Pittsburgh chose the local product from Pitt. Kinkhabwala said, “He wasn’t set up to succeed.” She pointed to instability including the offensive coordinator role, wide receivers, and offensive line. Pickett worked under Matt Canada, widely regarded as one of the NFL's worst modern offensive coordinators. Since his trade, Pickett has served as a journeyman backup, currently behind Bryce Young in Carolina. The Steelers, again holding the 21st pick in 2026, are searching for a long-term quarterback solution. Kinkhabwala suggested avoiding first-round quarterbacks and considering later options like Miami's Carson Beck, North Dakota State's Cole Payton, or Will Howard.
