Quarterback depth
Of all the potential weaknesses on the Steelers heading into the 2020 season, none is more concerning than the depth (or lack thereof) at the quarterback position. Despite Ben Roethlisberger entering his 17th NFL season at the age of 38, Pittburgh has a pair of unreliable backups sitting behind him.
In addition, it’s unclear how Roethlisberger’s throwing elbow is going to hold up this year. Even if his arm manages to last the season, Big Ben has played in every game just 4 times in 16 seasons to date.
If he goes down, the fate of the Steeles season will be left in the hands of Mason Rudolph – the 35th ranked quarterback in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus. Though Rudolph flashed at times (mostly before his concussion against the Ravens in Week 5), he was thoroughly disappointing – throwing four just 4 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in the second half of the season when called upon.
If that’s not bad enough, Devlin Hodges – Pittsburgh’s third quarterback – graded out as the worst qualifying quarterback in the league last year, according to PFF.
The Steelers idly sat by when quarterbacks like Jameis Winston and Cam Newton became available for pennies on the dollar. If Rudolph doesn’t prove to be a competent backup, Pittsburgh’s quarterback depth will be their downfall in 2020.