Steelers sign Pickett to rookie contract
Quarterback is last first-rounder in class of 2022 to come to terms
The first round of the 2022 NFL draft is all signed.
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has signed his rookie deal, the last of the first-round class to agree to a deal. Terms of the deal, reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, were not disclosed.
The Steelers made Pickett their No. 1 choice when they selected the former Pitt quarterback No. 20 overall.
He will enter next month’s training camp in a threeway battle to be the starter with Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
Pickett finished his fiveyear collegiate career with every major passing record — yards, touchdowns and completions, both all-time and single-season — in Pitt history. The 6-foot-3 signalcaller tallied 4,319 passing yards and 42 touchdowns in 2021, eclipsing Dan Marino’s all-time Pitt touchdowns record in the ACC title win over Wake Forest.
49ers
Hugh McElhenny, the elusive Hall of Fame halfback who starred in the San Francisco 49ers’ “Million Dollar Backfield” in the mid-1950s, died at 93. The Pro Football Hall of Fame said McEhlenny died of natural causes June 17 at his home in Nevada, and that son-inlaw Chris Permann confirmed the death.
Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970, McElhenny’s thrilling runs and all-around skills as a runner, receiver and kick returner made him one of the NFL’s top players of the 1950s.
With the 49ers from 195456, McElhenny was part of the “Million Dollar Backfield” with quarterback Y.A. Tittle, halfback John Henry Johnson and fullback Joe Perry — all of them also members of the Hall of Fame.
“Hugh McElhenny was a threat in all phases of the game offensively — rushing, pass receiving and as a kick and punt returner,” Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement.
A native of Los Angeles, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound McElhenny began his college career at Compton Junior College before starring at Washington, where he set Pacific Coast Conference records.
Patriots
The Patriots completed signing their 2022 draft class, inking contracts with firstround pick Cole Strange, an offensive lineman, secondround pick Tyquan Thornton, a wide receiver, and fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe, a quarterback. Terms of the deals were not released.