The Pittsburgh Steelers have become the best team in the NFL at reaching nine wins, making the playoffs, and losing in the first round. A recent report regarding their QB situation might keep them in that spot. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had some very troubling things to say about the Steelers and their QB situation, which has been in flux ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired:
"In fact, there appears to be some internal division that maybe Mason Rudolph should be the starter after the way he finished the 2023 season, winning the final three regular season games to gain entry to the playoffs...Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In any event, the Steelers are not interested in bringing in a quarterback who wants to be a starter. That would include Justin Fields and Kirk Cousins, and probably even Russell Wilson, who has a connection with the Steelers. They are committed to giving Pickett a third season to see if he is the guy to do more than just win a playoff game — something they haven’t done in a franchise-record seven years."
I mean, what are the Steelers doing here? So, not only is there reportedly division within the team regarding who should start for the team, but they also apparently have no interest in bringing in an outsider who could be the starter. Mitchell Trubisky is a free agent, and Mason Rudolph is set to hit the open market in 2024 as well.
Right now, the Steelers might be left with Kenny Pickett if they do not re-sign Rudolph. And if Dulac's report is true, the Steelers aren't prepared to bring in a potential starter. It's no secret that the Steelers offense has been brutally bad for a few years now, and their QB carousel is a big reason for that.
Kenny Pickett has gone 14-10 as a starter with the team since being drafted in 2022. He's thrown 13 touchdowns against 13 interceptions and has objectively been awful. The Steelers have won 14 of Pickett's 24 starts in spite of him. Earlier this offseason, they hired Arthur Smith to be their new offensive coordinator. Smith just served as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for three seasons.
The Falcons went 21-30 during Smith's tenure, going 7-10 each year. There really isn't much to like at all with the Steelers offense besides George Pickens. And I am very, very confused as to why the Steelers don't have interest in bringing in an outsider who could be the starter. What exactly are they waiting for with Kenny Pickett?
I have a theory that the team drafted Pickett because he played his college football at the University of Pittsburgh. He was not a first-round prospect and might not even be a backup QB at this point. If the Steelers were serious and genuine about turning their franchise around, they'd have their eyes on a QB in the 2024 NFL Draft. And heck, there could be multiple viable starters available in free agency.
Kirk Cousins is set to be a free agent. The Denver Broncos could very well cut Russell Wilson, and Arthur Smith could reunite with Ryan Tannehill when he hits the open market. Sticking with Kenny Pickett would keep the Steelers circling the drain.