The Steelers determined to maneuver on from quarterback Kenny Pickett. The Eagles determined to maneuver him in.
Nearly as stunning as Pittsburgh’s pivot from Pickett (and Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky) to Russell Wilson is Philadelphia’s determination to embrace the 2022 first-round decide. His skillset doesn’t mesh seamlessly with the skills of starter Jalen Hurts, making the transition from QB1 to QB2 much less jarring for the remainder of the offense.
Hurts, most importantly, runs the ball much more than Pickett. In 2023, Hurts had 157 dashing makes an attempt for 650 yards That’s 9.23 rushes per recreation, and 38.2 yards per recreation. Pickett, in distinction, ran the ball 42 instances for 54 yards in 12 video games final yr — 3.5 makes an attempt per recreation and 4.5 yards per recreation.
Pickett ran extra at Pitt, however not a lot. He had 97 makes an attempt for 241 yards in his ultimate yr with the Panthers. It’s apparent primarily based on his two years within the NFL that he lacks the burst to run previous NFL-quality defenders.
The query is whether or not, below new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, there can be much less operating by the quarterbacks in Philly. Whereas it’s laborious to think about the Eagles abandoning the Brotherly Shove/Tush Push since they do it so nicely, it’s truthful to wonder if the choice to commerce for Pickett signifies that the Eagles can be utilizing Hurts in a approach that entails much less operating.
Although it was by no means disclosed, Hurts had a knee damage that bothered him for a lot of the 2023 season. The group is likely to be making a strategic determination to raised defend the quarterback in 2024, particularly since they now have operating again Saquon Barkley to take, and ship, hits with the ball in his fingers.
We’ll learn the way totally different, or not, the Eagles’ offense is when the season rolls round. For now, the transfer from Marcus Mariota to Kenny Pickett because the backup to Jalen Hurts might be a clue as to how the Philly offense will assault defenses in a yr with heightened stakes for head coach Nick Sirianni.
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