Sources: Eagles trade for Kenny Pickett from the Pittsburgh Steelers, adding a backup QB

The Eagles are trading for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, according to a league source, acquiring a backup to replace Marcus Mariota.

CBS Sports was first to report the news.

In addition to Pickett, the Eagles will receive the Steelers’ fourth-round pick (No. 120) in this year’s draft in exchange for a third-round compensatory pick (No. 98), and the Eagles’ highest two 2025 seventh-round picks, according to league sources.

The Steelers selected Pickett 20th overall in the 2022 draft after a career at Pitt in which he was a four-year starter. With the Steelers, started 24 career games over two seasons but was benched late last year in favor of Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. The 25-year-old Ocean Township, N.J., native completed 62.6% of his career passes, throwing for 4,474 yards with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Steelers went 3-2 after benching him and clinched a playoff berth before losing in the wild-card round to the Buffalo Bills.

The Steelers agreed to terms with Russell Wilson on Sunday and also had the veteran quarterback officially sign his deal on Friday. According to an NFL Network report, Pickett requested a trade from the Steelers after Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin told him Wilson would get the first reps with the starting offense in offseason workouts. Pickett reportedly was previously promised he’d get a chance to compete for the starting job and found out about Wilson joining the team on social media.

A year removed from finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior at Pitt, Pickett earned the starting job with the Steelers three weeks into his rookie season. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound signal caller finished his first year with 2,404 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He regressed in his second year, leading a Steelers offense that ranked 25th in passing yards and 28th in scoring.

» READ MORE: Kenny Pickett, a 2021 Heisman finalist with Philly ties

Pickett now joins a quarterback room behind Jalen Hurts. Marcus Mariota, last year’s backup, signed with the Washington Commanders on Thursday for a contract reportedly worth up to $10 million with incentives. Mariota appeared in three regular-season games for the Eagles last season in instances when Hurts missed plays.

The Eagles also have second-year quarterback Tanner McKee, a sixth-round pick out of Stanford who showed promise in his first preseason last year, but Pickett gives the team a backup with extensive starting experience. It’s a position the organization has long placed a premium on, often trading for or signing veteran signal-callers behind established starters.

A former Ocean Township High School star who grew up an Eagles fan, Pickett verbally committed to Temple in 2016 before reopening his recruitment as a three-star recruit in the class of 2017.

“I really wanted to see the other schools that I was getting recruited by,” Pickett said at the 2022 Senior Bowl. “I didn’t think it was right to be seeing other schools while committed to one. Each party kind of knew what was going to happen at the end of the day, I think.

“It was a great time for Temple football. I’m really close to Philly, it’s like an hour and 15 minutes from my house. They were trending upward. I knew bigger schools would be calling, and [Matt Rhule] ended up leaving.”

Following the trade, the Eagles now have three picks inside the top 100 of next month’s draft, their own first and second-round picks (No. 22 and No. 53) and the New Orleans Saints’ second-rounder (No. 50).

Jeff McLane contributed reporting.