Kenny Pickett’s journey through the NFL has been a rollercoaster. After starting 49 games at the University of Pittsburgh, he was drafted in the first round (20th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. He was lauded for leadership abilities and clutch play, evidenced by comeback wins he earned with the Steelers in his rookie year.
However, things began to fall off for Pickett. He suffered a concussion and ankle sprain in 2023 that hindered his continuity and development. He started 12 games, but threw four touchdowns against four interceptions, with a passer rating of 81.4. The end in Pittsburgh came when the team acquired Russell Wilson in March 2024. Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles where he backed up Jalen Hurts.
Philadelphia traded Pickett to the Cleveland Browns, where he is part of an open competition for the starting job with veteran Joe Flacco and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. However, Pickett is getting attention for something that wasn’t brought up much until now: The size of his hands.
Kenny Pickett’s Hands are the Hot Topic
Pickett’s hands were measured at 8.5 inches at the NFL Combine in 2022, so when the Browns posted that, “football things are happening,” the football universe took notice.
football things are happening pic.twitter.com/3eDK667dE6
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns)
There are fair concerns. Pickett’s hands are the smallest measured at any modern combine. The average hand size for a quarterback from 2008 to 2020 is around 9.7 inches. However, Joe Burrow, Ryan Tannehill, and Jared Goff measured in at around nine inches. Regardless, lots of people took note of Pickett’s hand size and had a field day with it.
@nflmikey_ quoted the tweet, “This is something…Pciket had the smallest hands in NFL combine history in 2020. Small hands and the weather in Cleveland are not a good combination. #Browns.”
Another user, @CoachBreeze_, added, “No funny. Kenny Pickett’s hands are comically small.”
“My three week old son has bigger hands than Kenny Pickett,” says @T_johnson_Tj.
@sweetbob piles on, “Look at Kenny Pickett’s tiny wittle hands.”
Popular Twitter aggregator @_MLFootball joined in with, “TRENDING New Cleveland #Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett’s hand size in a photo from today’s practice has gone viral.”
TRENDING: New Cleveland #Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett's hand size in a photo from today’s practice has gone viral.
😳😳😳
(📸: Browns) pic.twitter.com/oCGw2dA6nI
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball)
Finally, @Travonne compared Pickett to marketing, “kenny pickett got those burger king commercial small hands.”
Jokes aside, quarterbacks are measured beyond just their hand size. As mentioned before, Burrow’s hands measured nine inches and there were concerns brought up during his draft evaluation in 2020. However, Cincinnati has been more than happy with his performance as he has led them to a Super Bowl appearance. He also has a 3-2 record against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension in 2023.
This isn’t to suggest that Pickett’s on the same level as Burrow. It’s to point out that on-field play is what will matter. Pickett’s going to be under intense scrutiny going into training camp as he will be competing for the starting job with one of the most polarizing figures to come out of a draft in recent memory. Shedeur Sanders will have the spotlight on him, which just might allow Pickett’s hands to shrink into the background as all four of the Browns’ quarterbacks’ on-field play will determine the franchise’s near future.
