With Kenny Pickett out and Russell Wilson in, Pittsburgh apparel shops scramble through quarterback shakeup
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Russell Wilson is in and Kenny Pickett is out. It is true on the field and in local apparel shops.
At Yinzers apparel shop in the Strip District on Friday, folks were of course shopping for St. Patrick's Day items, but they were also looking for anything with Russell Wilson's name and number on it.
Jim Coen, the owner of Yinzers in the Burgh, says that the Steelers getting Wilson is huge for the team and the city.
"It means a lot because it is stability. You know, we have a stable quarterback," Coen said.
While Coen does like the seeming stability for the Steelers in the pocket, he did admit to a bit of a quarterback scramble in the last two weeks to start putting out merch with Wilson's name and number on it.
"You know a lot of times, we have to pre-book so it takes a long time to get a player in, so we have to really scramble around to find sources that will have Russell Wilson merchandise," Coen said.
"But we always figure it out and we are excited because it is going to be a good year," he added.
Someone who may have a good year, just not here in Pittsburgh, is Kenny Pickett, who was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Coen says they stopped buying Pickett merch after he was injured last season, so they don't have a ton left in stock, but, KDKA-TV did speak with one sad Pickett fan at Yinzers who was searching through the remains for one last memento.
"It hurts. It stings," Taylor Panick said. "I'm a big Kenny Pickett fan and have been since his days at Pitt. I wish they would have given him one more year to prove himself. But I am happy he is headed back to his hometown."
Yinzers says they have more Wilson merchandise on the way in, but you want to act now to get that Pickett merchandise because once it is gone, well, it's gone.
