Sam Darnold: 6 NFL teams that could revive quarterback’s career in 2021

Sam Darnold 2021 landing spot No. 2: Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger looks decent this year in his age-38 season but he’s only under contract for one more year. That means the Steelers have one last chance to find a protege for Big Ben in what very well could be his final year in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers had a large sample size of the other two quarterbacks when Roethlisberger was injured early on in the 2019 season and the end result wasn’t great. Had they had someone like Darnold, a playoff appearance likely happens with how good that defense is. With how often Roethlisberger gets injured, having a solid backup like Darnold for 2021 isn’t a bad idea.

Pittsburgh has a lot of selling points. Their defense is the best in the league, their offensive weapons are top five, Mike Tomlin is one of the best head coaches in the NFL, and the organization is historic. Darnold would have a year to learn under Big Ben and if the team felt like they were ready to make the transition, they’d be good to go.

Darnold would have a lot going for him if the Steelers did decide to trade for him, but the only question mark is if Big Ben would help him or insist that he’s not going anywhere. The Steelers could still move on from him, as his contract is up after next season and the injuries have always been an issue for Roethlisberger. He’s also not the one who would get to make the final decision.

Sam Darnold in a Steelers uniform would be a weird sight for sure, but this actually could be a good fit for the former USC Trojan who could maybe even reunite with former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster.