Antonio Brown Pokes Fun at Eagles New Backup QB Kenny Pickett’s Turnover Rate While Commenting on Iran vs. Israel Clash

Super Bowl Champion Antonio Brown is known for his vocal nature. After his contentious exit from the NFL in 2021, the former football wide receiver has been in the news for his off-field activities. And now, once again he is making waves for his latest statement as he compared Kenny Pickett’s turnover rate with Israel’s interception of drones during the ongoing Iran vs. Israel conflict.

Kenny was unable to leave an impression for his last season’s performance, but his exceptional turnover rate in terms of interceptions has been a point of discussion.  In his 2 years career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pickett has secured notable scores, securing 4,474 yards in 62.6% attempts. Apart from that, he recorded 13 interceptions along with 13 TD passes of his throwing. But, to understand Brown’s analogy, we need to look at Pickett’s performance as the quarterback for the Steelers, and the context in which these turnovers have occurred.

Brown’s comparison of rising conflicts with Kenny Pickett

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Antonio Brown reshared The Spectator Index’s media post, which is about the Iran vs. Israel Clash. Connecting the conflict post with the new QB Kenny‘s turnover rate, he captioned the post as “Iran starting QB Kenny Pickett #CTESPN”.

The media post read “BREAKING: Israeli official says 99% of Iranian drones and missiles have been intercepted.” This statement comes after Israel praised the success of its defences in the face of an unprecedented attack by Iran involving hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles.

While addressing the tensions between the two nations, Brown was not able to resist poking the Eagles’ backup quarterback. He targeted the dichotomy of Pickett’s turnover rate and Israel’s drone interception amidst the rising conflict with Iran. Brown’s tweet gathered attention, adding a light-hearted humor to the geopolitical tension, but at Pickett’s expense.

Pickett’s touchdown percentage is quite low at 1.9%, as he ranks 265 among all NFL quarterbacks. His passing yards per completion is 9.9, ranking him at 264 place. And, this prompted Brown to refer to Pickett as a “legitimate concern.”

Is Brown’s criticism warranted?

Kenny Pickett, the former the Steelers QB, has had a mixed performance since being drafted. Despite a relatively low interception rate, his overall performance has been under scrutiny. His metrics place him at the lower end among NFL quarterbacks, indicating struggles in converting plays into scoring opportunities and moving the ball effectively.

Antonio Brown’s comparison, therefore, draws on the contrast between Pickett’s performance and the effectiveness of Israel’s air defense. While Israel successfully intercepted the vast majority of incoming threats, Brown’s comments suggest that Pickett’s interceptions, or turnovers, are seen as a negative aspect of his gameplay, likening them to the drones that were intercepted. The analogy implies that just as Israel’s defense was on high alert to intercept threats, opposing NFL defenses are similarly prepared to capitalize on Pickett’s mistakes.

A lot can be put on the shoulders of Mike Tomlin for not being able to surround the QB with the right weapons or coach him to a level where it was easier to read the defense. In the end, Pittsburgh exchanged one QB who the coach was unhappy with to another who annoyed a Hall-of-Fame HC in recent years. Will the Russell Wilson experiment work this time around, or will Kenny have the last laugh?