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Pitt QB Kenny Pickett Won’t Play in Peach Bowl

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Kenny Pickett

Kenny Pickett has made official what everyone has anticipated- he will not be playing in the Peach Bowl.

Tonight on Twitter, Pickett released this statement:

To the University of Pittsburgh, thank you for all that you have given me over the past five years. Coach Narduzzi, thank you for being by my side throughout my entire career and teaching me life lessons every step of the way. One of the best moments of my football career was standing on stage with you, the team, and our ACC Championship trophy. I will never forget our victory and everything it took to get us there. Coach Whipple, I’m so proud to have learned from you. Together, we accomplished all of our goals and I wish you nothing but the best in the future. To my teammates, the memories we have made will last a lifetime. I am thankful for all of the friendships I’ve made and I look forward to keeping these bonds as we move on to the next chapter of our lives. To the fans, thank you for all of your support throughout my career. I am incredibly proud to say I was a part of the team that brought back another trophy to the City of Champions. With love and gratitude, I have decided to forgo the Peach Bowl and begin training for the 2022 NFL Draft. Thank you, Pittsburgh.

Considering how Pickett has improved his NFL stock and skyrocketed up in the eyes of NFL teams, Pickett would’ve potentially risked millions of dollars by playing in a bowl game.

Following Pickett’s decision, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi released this statement:

Thank you, Kenny Pickett. It has been an honor to be your head coach, from the time you arrived as a freshman five years ago, right up until the moment you walked off the field in Charlotte as an ACC Champion. You gave the University of Pittsburgh absolutely everything you had. Your leadership and toughness raised the bar for our entire program. On behalf of Panther Nation, thank you for all you have given us, on and off the field.”

Pitt will begin bowl preparations on Saturday and Nick Patti will start in place of Pickett.

Earlier today, Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker, who is expected to be a high pick in April’s draft, also announced that he will not play in the Peach Bowl.

Sandy Schall, Coldwell Banker
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Mugrad_89
Mugrad_89
2 years ago

Can’t blame Pickett one bit – he accomplished his goal leading Pitt to an ACC championship and a fantastic season. I’m happy to see Beville will get the start.

77Pitt82
77Pitt82
2 years ago
Reply to  Mugrad_89

Beville? Where did that come from?

Mugrad_89
Mugrad_89
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike Vukovcan

Bummer – Beville has much more upside.

Katura Cassells
Katura Cassells
2 years ago
Reply to  Mugrad_89

Absolutely, much more. His ceiling is higher than Picket’s. Patti has some serious weaknesses in his throwing motion and arm strength. Beville won the 2 spot in the spring game. If, or when Patti doesn’t perform well, I hope, at least, they give Beville an opportunity.

emoneypitt
emoneypitt
2 years ago

Kenny Pickett has become Kenny Quitett. Go make your money. Whatever. He’s tarnished his legacy here as far as I’m concerned. I hope the Steelers don’t draft him.

Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
2 years ago
Reply to  emoneypitt

I hope the Steelers dont draft him either. That would suck for him to be a Steeler. That team is terrible and I would feel bad for him playing on that lousy team. He deserves much better.

Paulp
2 years ago
Reply to  Matt Hardy

The guy’s a putz! Another waste of talent and a selfish premadona player. In a year of weak QB Draft prospects if I may add. As a Pittsburgh sports fan I say don’t let the door knob hit ya where the sun doesn’t shine pal. I hope TJ Watt rips your freakin’ head off!

Let's Believe
Let's Believe
2 years ago
Reply to  emoneypitt

If you had a chance to get somewhere in the ballpark of $15-$20M guaranteed by not playing a football game, what would you do? The real problem is the current structure of college football. Take the New Years Six Bowl teams and add those to create a 16 team playoff. Players would then play with a chance to play for a championship on the line.

MrThisThatSoForth
MrThisThatSoForth
2 years ago
Reply to  Let's Believe

if there was a 16 team playoff, are you sure KP would play in that? I’m not. Hey the goal was an ACC Championship right? He quit on his team. The season is not over. No other QB has ever done this. We not me was BS. He doesn’t want to play in anymore games since he can’t win any more awards. Hey, he will play in the Senior Bowl though, right? He could get hurt in that game as well couldn’t he? What message does that send? To me, the message he is sending is one of arrogant selfishness.… Read more »

Paulp
2 years ago

Hopefully TJ Watt crushes his candy butt in the pros! I hope Pitt’s QB in the Peachbowl throws 5 TD’s and rushes for two more. So Kenny Pickett is just a faded memory. Then has a bad Senior Bowl and slides into the 5th to 7th rounds of the NFL draft.

Paulp
2 years ago
Reply to  Let's Believe

Whose paying him that? Sorry, but he is an unproven commodity in the pros. Come on! This isn’t a standout QB draft class or something. If I was a NFL GM or a team owner I’d see him opting out of the Peachbowl as problematic. IMO he just slid down the QB depth chart on my draft board. There might be value there to take a chance in the later rounds?

emoneypitt
emoneypitt
2 years ago
Reply to  Let's Believe

Do you see NBA lottery picks skipping the big dance for fear of injury? No. If Pickett is so worried about getting hurt, why did he play in a meaningless Syracuse game that Patti probably could have won? They do have insurance policies to cover things like this as well. It’s BS logic. I guarantee he has some agent in his ear already telling him not to play.

Jim_99
Jim_99
2 years ago
Reply to  emoneypitt

I agree – Pickett will never be a real Pitt Man ever again! He is a pathetic child who just made the trip to Atlanta a joke for fans. Yes, Pickett has been molly coddled from day one. I know some Cadets at West Point who believe him to be dishonorable to his alma mater. Yea, that says it all!

Mark Recker
Mark Recker
2 years ago
Reply to  Jim_99

Really? And what did these imaginary cadets say about Pickett?

Me not you
Me not you
2 years ago

From dead rivalries to a pathetic playoff system to players skipping the biggest game of the year…… College football is broken

Tom Wolf
Tom Wolf
2 years ago
Reply to  Me not you

It is

Tom Wolf
Tom Wolf
2 years ago

I wish he would have announced it proir to the Pitt Ticket Office taking money yesterday at noon for the Peach Bowl.

I would not have purchased tickets and all season all I heard was “we not me”.

It is really “me not we”, and yes he can get hurt in the bowl game but he can slip in the shower, get into an auto accident or suffer a mishap.

Life is full of risk, best of luck to him.

Section 122
Section 122
2 years ago
Reply to  Tom Wolf

It’s a shame that the only loyal party in sports, college or pro, are fans.

Last edited 2 years ago by Adam Held
Paulp
2 years ago
Reply to  Section 122

Mike Ditka, Dan Marino, Craig Heyward and countless others will be long remembered in Pittsburgh. Than Kevin Punkett or whoever he is………

Paulp
2 years ago
Reply to  Tom Wolf

I wouldn’t wish him luck! Let him get a job in Marketing since he turned his back on football….

Jim_99
Jim_99
2 years ago

Too much molly coddling by the Pitt coaches, and the wimp like attitude of spoiled children. Marino would have never have done this, but than again Marino was and is a man.

Paulp
2 years ago

The university should kick Kenny Pickett to the curb. Withdraw their nomination of Pickett being a Heisman candidate. Or any affiliation for Pickett to play in the Senior Bowl. Where he can just as easily get hurt! Any NFL team who has Pickett on their draft board should be werry of the guy. He’s another Eli Manning waiting to happen! Wanting to dictate the terms of who can draft him. Why would any GM take the chance? On that BS! IMO He’s no Dan Marino, not even close. At best he’ll be a flash in the pan……….

Jim_99
Jim_99
2 years ago
Reply to  Paulp

Super Comment!

You guys are fucking pathetic.
You guys are fucking pathetic.
2 years ago
Reply to  Jim_99

You guys are all pretty petty fucking snowflakes. Get a life.

MrThisThatSoForth
MrThisThatSoForth
2 years ago

You apparently have never played team sports. We Not Me!

Mark Recker
Mark Recker
2 years ago
Reply to  Jim_99

Dude, seek help immediately! It’s painfully obvious that your multiple personalities are talking to themselves.

Jeff
Jeff
2 years ago

Oh well. It is what it is so I’m not mad at the kid. This seems to be the way it works these days unfortunately which really takes away from the point of bowl games.

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