Does the Wrong Move at Quarterback This Off-Season Set the Steelers Back Multiple Years?

[Steeler Nation]

The quarterback narrative for the Pittsburgh Steelers has seen just about every name in the book come up in the last month or so. Ben Roethlisberger had been the guy for 18 years and there has not been much worry up until now about who would replace him. The NFL has become a pass-happy league with dynamic quarterbacks dominating defenses. What is the right move here for the Steelers? We all have our opinions. Could the wrong decision hold the franchise back for multiple years?

Drafting a quarterback in 2022 comes with risk. There isn’t a standout prospect like a Joe Burrow to go after and the wrong move could potentially hold back Mike Tomlin an extended period of time. When you draft a quarterback, especially in the first round, a bit of politics come into play. Guys like Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and heck, even Baker Mayfield are examples that show teams feel obligated to stick with a guy. The New York Jets finally moved on from Darnold, but over in the New York Giants‘ locker room, the front office and ownership is still convinced that Jones will be the guy if they can put him in the right situation. But, how long will that take? And is it even worth it? The last thing Steelers fans want to see is the team commit to someone who isn’t what we thought he was and suffer through his rookie contract because the front office refuses to admit they got it wrong.

Trading for guys like Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson immediately sacrifices multiple first round picks for years to come. Imagine Rodgers thinking he has four more years in him, but he decides to retire after one season in Pittsburgh? Not only did you waste multiple first round picks, but you are left off right where you started. It doesn’t seem logistical to make this aggressive of a move when there are holes on the offensive line and secondary on defense.






The lowest risk for Steelers is to have someone like Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins or a cheap veteran run the offense. I don’t buy the talk of “wasting a year of T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward.” The Steelers are miles away from their competitors in the AFC as of now and a Super Bowl isn’t going to come next year barring an off-season of aggressive, uncharacteristic moves from the organization. We are hearing the term “bridge the gap” with someone for a year, but Tomlin has proven he refuses to be under .500 and even was an even 8-8 with Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at QB back in 2019. A season of less than six wins and a top 10 draft pick doesn’t seem like it is in Mike Tomlin’s expansive vocabulary.

Teams in today’s NFL build everything around a quarterback. But, it seems as if they know who their guy is and then build all the pieces around him. The Steelers are currently in quarterback limbo and the decisions they make this off-season regarding the position have the potential to set back the team for years. One year may not be the end of the world if they stay conservative, but an aggressive, seemingly forced decision, could have implications for years to come.



Do you think the wrong decision this off-season could hold back the Steelers for a long time? Let us know in the comments below!

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