Five months ago, when I expressed displeasure about Kenny Pickett opting out of the Peach Bowl, many on this board corrected me. Elite athletes like Kenny, who will be earning their living playing professionally, must be savvy enough to protect their earning potential. Why risk an injury or a bad game that would hurt his draft stock and cost him millions of dollars? Sound business decisions trump all other considerations. As Chris Peak himself put it, team loyalty is nice and all that, but it doesn't pay the bills.
Well, Jordan Addison is an elite athlete who likewise will be making his money in the NFL. He had an extraordinary year in 2021 and may be concerned that any significant drop-off in production (likely with Pitt's professed intention to shift to a more balanced attack) will be a point of concern for the pro scouts, which could have a big impact for the 2023 draft. Who can, therefore, question his decision to transfer to a school where it will be more likely he can continue to put up eye-popping numbers? (I'm not even considering the rumors of NIL payments.) It is a business decision that we must respect.
The standard has been set. The anger, and especially the attacks on Jordan's character, we have seen here yesterday and today are entirely inappropriate. One cannot logically both laud Kenny and vilify Jordan. Instead, we should be consistent and be grateful for what Jordan has given to Pitt and wish the young man the best in his future endeavors.
Well, Jordan Addison is an elite athlete who likewise will be making his money in the NFL. He had an extraordinary year in 2021 and may be concerned that any significant drop-off in production (likely with Pitt's professed intention to shift to a more balanced attack) will be a point of concern for the pro scouts, which could have a big impact for the 2023 draft. Who can, therefore, question his decision to transfer to a school where it will be more likely he can continue to put up eye-popping numbers? (I'm not even considering the rumors of NIL payments.) It is a business decision that we must respect.
The standard has been set. The anger, and especially the attacks on Jordan's character, we have seen here yesterday and today are entirely inappropriate. One cannot logically both laud Kenny and vilify Jordan. Instead, we should be consistent and be grateful for what Jordan has given to Pitt and wish the young man the best in his future endeavors.
