The Pittsburgh Steelers are no closer to plotting their path out of their quarterback crisis with the franchise internally divided over sticking with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a state of confusion when it comes to their quarterback situation. The franchise reportedly can’t decide whether to stick with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph or bring in a blockbuster addition such as Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill, or Russell Wilson.
This past season, the Steelers had three different quarterbacks and now they’re thinking about either trading or drafting a new starter, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Some in the organization believe Rudolph should be the main quarterback because he won all three games he started before the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pickett was the main quarterback for most of the games until he got hurt, and backup Mitch Trubisky also played.
But the Steelers have already said goodbye to Trubisky and Rudolph might also leave after reaching the end of his contract, which would leave them short of quarterbacks. They’re interested in Chicago Bears quarterback Fields, but they’d have to trade for him.
The Bears have the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and need to decide whether to use it on Caleb Williams or keep Fields and maybe add Marvin Harrison Jr. to their wide receivers.
Cousins or Tannehill, who are set to become free agents, are also possibilities, as is Wilson from the Denver Broncos, who is expected to leave his team. It’s unlikely that they’ll draft a new quarterback, especially since Pickett only joined in 2022.
The Steelers will need to add more players around Joey Porter Jr. and Patrick Peterson at cornerback and might also need to strengthen their offensive line. Fields is particularly admired by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
This was revealed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on “The Pat McAfee Show”. He said: “We know the Pittsburgh [Steelers] is gonna go out and get some type of quarterback.
Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields are potential options for Pittsburgh
Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields are potential options for Pittsburgh
“Whether that’s Ryan Tannehill, whether that’s Russell Wilson, whether that’s Justin Fields. Mike Tomlin’s a big fan of Justin Fields. We’ll keep that in mind during the offseason and the coming weeks.”
The future of head coach Tomlin could also be a factor, with the 51 year old facing questions last season. Tomlin hasn’t brought a Super Bowl to Pittsburgh since the 2008 season and the team’s “standards” have been criticised, despite the franchise being joint-record holders of Lombardi Trophies.
Legendary Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said: “The standard in Pittsburgh is all about winning Super Bowls. We’re very blessed.” He added, “We won six Super Bowls in our organization…. But we haven’t won in a while, so that’s the one thing that probably [Tomlin is] lacking on his shelves of great accomplishments and bringing another Super Bowl back to the city of Pittsburgh.”
