3 reasons the Steelers should not trade for Sam Darnold next year
By Tommy Jaggi
Sam Darnold is entering the last year of his rookie deal
The way it stands, the Steelers could certainly make it work to take on Sam Darnold’s $9.79 million cap number in 2021(via Over the Cap). Though they don’t have a lot of wiggle room at the moment, they could make it work for a future franchise quarterback. However, Darnold is going to want a new deal soon.
The young quarterback would likely wait until after he proves himself in 2021 before signing a lofty new extension – putting the Steelers in a lose-lose situation if they were to trade for him. If Darnold takes over as Pittsburgh’s quarterback and does great, he’s going to want a huge extension that the Steelers may not be able to afford to give him until Roethlisberger’s numbers are off the books. If he performs poorly, then Pittsburgh just waisted a few high drafts picks for a quarterback who isn’t going to be the answer for them.
Unless Roethlisberger elected to retire after the 2020 season, the timing isn’t going to lineup well for the Steelers to make a move for Darnold. The worst part about it all is that Pittsburgh would miss the benefit of starting a cheap quarterback on his rookie contract – otherwise allowing them to load up elsewhere on the team.