Pittsburgh Steelers star Kenny Pickett had his SUV briefly stolen on Wednesday while he gave a national radio interview with the franchise's playbook left in the car.
The 24-year-old is fresh off the back of his rookie season and is hoping to improve in his second and also help the Steelers reach the postseason. However, as teams complete their first OTAs ahead of the new season, Pickett had an unwelcomed distraction as his Genesis SUV was stolen at a local car dealership near Pittsburgh.
Inside the car was Pickett's playbook, designed to help aid his growth in Pennsylvania, and to the quarterback's luck, the book was left in the car upon its rescue near Westmoreland Heritage Trail in Murrysville.
A 60-year-old man was arrested in connection with the theft, and he has been named Christopher Carter, of Murrysville. Carter was charged with theft, receiving stolen property, and unauthorised use of a motor vehicle, according to court records obtained by WTAE.
Carter was found as he left his own car at the dealership after taking off in Pickett's SUV from a local Chevrolet dealership. The car was found with scratches and scruffs that were not there before it was stolen.
Carter will appear in court on June 5 following his release. The man's neighbour says he is a "standup guy". WPXI reports neighbour Ashely Antonucci as saying: "It’s very, very bizarre. I didn’t think that episode was going to turn into what it did. Definitely wasn’t acting like himself. He’s a standup guy, wonderful neighbour. I bring him dinner."
The Steelers took Pickett in last year's NFL Draft at No20 and he threw for 2,404 yards and seven touchdowns with nine interceptions as a rookie. He shared playing time alongside Mitch Trubisky as the Steelers went 9-8 in the regular season, missing out on the postseason for the first time since 2019.
Pickett recently responded to Ben Roethlisberger admitting that he hoped he failed in his first season as his replacement. "He's honest," Pickett said when responding at OTAs. "He's out front about it, and he's a fan now and he's pulling for us and it was really cool to hear him say that. I think we're just going to continue to build on that relationship. I'm excited to go into Year 2 with another guy in my corner."
The Steelers have strengthened in the offseason. They selected Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr, Keeanu Benton, and Darnell Washington in the draft. They also signed former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo and linebacker Cole Holcomb who left the Washington Commanders in free agency.
