With former Pittsburgh Panthers standout Kenny Pickett already on his fourth NFL team, it would be understandable for casual fans to forget that the signal-caller was a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. Pickett spent the 2024 season in Philadelphia and put together rather forgettable numbers before being shipped out of town in an offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns.
Pickett didn't stick around for long in Cleveland, as they traded him to the Las Vegas Raiders during the preseason.
Now, with Week 15 upon us and Pickett's Raiders having nothing to play for but their own pride, the quarterback has the opportunity to face the team that decided he wasn't worth keeping on their roster after Pete Carroll named him the starter for Week 15. As much as Pickett will be fired up for the chance to prove the defending champions made the wrong decision, the Eagles' defense should be even more motivated to not provide Pickett with the pleasure of saying, "I told you so."
Simply put, Philadelphia knows what Pickett can and cannot do. There are no excuses for Vic Fangio and his unit to leave no doubt that Howie Roseman was right to make the trade when he did. This is especially true with questions about a QB change being raised to Nick Sirianni, which he flat-out denied would be on his radar this season.
Philadelphia's Defense Must Dominate Kenny Pickett In Week 15
No one is suggesting that Pickett would be a better option than Jalen Hurts if he were still on the Eagles' roster. The sheer thought of it is laughable given the career resumes of the two. Philadelphia has dealt with its fair share of issues on the offensive side of the ball, though, and another incomplete performance against a QB who was jettisoned by the franchise would only make those conversations among fans worse than they have been thus far.
Pickett's only real game action of the 2025 campaign came during Las Vegas' Week 14 loss against the Denver Broncos as the QB came in for an injured Geno Smith after the Raiders had fallen behind 24-7. Pickett ultimately went 8/11 for 97 yards and a TD pass against a defense that had very little reason to play anything but prevent.
This shouldn't instill fear in a single member of the Eagles' defense, from the coaching staff all the way down the depth chart. It should, however, remind that group that Pickett should not be taken lightly. The likelihood that he leads a 2-11 team into Lincoln Financial Field and upsets the defending champions is slim, but it isn't zero.
Winning alone shouldn't be the motivation for this defense, though. For lack of a better term, this unit should take the field on Sunday with the mindset to take advantage of the opportunity at hand and embarrass the former first-round pick. Not only would this further justify the decision to trade Pickett when the front office did, but it would also provide this team with a much-needed confidence booster for an Eagles roster that has lost three consecutive games.