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Major Controversy: Kenny Pickett Didn’t Have His Hands Measured at Senior Bowl
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If you’ve listened to WIP for as little as five minutes this week, you know they’re absolutely hammering the Eagles quarterback topic. Is Jalen Hurts the guy? Should they trade for Russell Wilson? WHAT ABOUT DESHAUN WATSON? Or should they draft somebody instead? They are playing the hits at Audacy HQ along the beautiful banks of the Schuylkill River.
One of the possible draft targets is a guy Howie Roseman watched in person this year. He went to Pittsburgh to watch the Yinzers do battle with the North Carolina Tar Heels, a game that Kenny Pickett won. Pickett is a New Jersey guy and likes the Eagles and apparently is not getting his hands measured at the Senior Bowl:
Pitt QB Kenny Pickett didn’t have his hands measured here in Mobile, but he has a good reason: He’s double jointed, so his thumb naturally points an odd direction, and he’s doing extra exercises to get an accurate measurement at the combine in March. pic.twitter.com/KLMdraG9AC
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2022
First things first, there’s no such thing as being “double-jointed.” This would imply that you literally have two joints instead of one. The term we’re looking for is “hypermobility,” which means that singular joints can move beyond their typical range. I’m not a doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Righto, so Pickett apparently has small hands. The bigger a QB’s hands, the better he can grip a ball, and the more control he has when throwing it. In the case of Nick Foles, he had massive cajones and hands at the same time. He was gripping the pigskin like a mofo en route to Super Bowl 52.
But does it really matter? –
Kenny Pickett has “small hands” huh…
Joe Burrow’s hand was measured at 9 inches at the combine. Smallest among first round QB’s since 2008.
If you can play, you can play.
— Matt Koll (@MKoll15) February 1, 2022
Seems like hand size is bullshit. This isn’t the same as a defender having a body that places him somewhere between a linebacker and a safety. We’re not talking about Nathan “White Snake” Gerry, we’re talking about a dude in Pickett who has a ton of experience and threw for a bazillion yards and touchdowns at Pitt. Hail to Pitt! Go Panthers!
So the moral of the story is that Kenny Pickett’s hands shouldn’t matter. Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni are at the Senior Bowl, and if they like the dude, they shouldn’t let his paws deter them from drafting him.
This reminds me of that scene from the first Austin Powers movie, where he’s talking about his dislike for carnies. “Smell like cabbage, small hands.” –
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com