Why the Steelers should draft a quarterback in 2021
Steelers quarterback history after the Bradshaw era
After Stoudt, the Steelers had Mark Malone, David Woodley, Bubby Brister, Neil O’Donnell, Kordell Stewart, and Tommy Maddox. Each of those players had some potential; nonetheless, none could get the job done. The only quarterback who came closest was Neil O’Donnell as he led the Steelers to Superbowl XXX. His fourth-quarter interception doomed the Steelers, and fans had to wait until 2005 for the next Superbowl run. Of course, 2004 was the year Steelers head coach Bill Cowher drafted a quarterback in the first round. He selected the quarterback from Miami University (OH). A big kid, you may have heard of Ben Roethlisberger. Arguably, he is one of the top 10 quarterbacks of all time
After 17 seasons, though, his playing days are limited. The Steelers did not opt to find a replacement for Bradshaw before he retired, and the Steelers did not win a Superbowl for 26 years. So, when do the Steelers look to the future and find his heir apparent? Mason Rudolph was supposedly the heir apparent. The 2019 season showed he was not that guy. Even being replaced by Devlin Hodges at one point.
So If the Steelers are smart, they should do what Green Bay did. While Brett Farve still played for them, they drafted Aaron Rodgers, let him play behind him, got to learn from Farve, then took over Green Bay’s offense when Farve left. Knowing Big Ben could play perhaps three more seasons, why not draft a quarterback now, let him sit on the bench behind Roethlisberger, learn the position, and take over in, say, three years. If it worked for Green Bay, it could work for the Steelers.
In the 2021 draft class, there are some exciting quarterback prospects. Whether any of them can be the next Rothlisberger is hard to say. If the Steelers opt for this strategy, however, which quarterback should they draft? Some will obviously be off the board by the time the Steelers draft, such as Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. Taking that into consideration, who would they have an opportunity to draft? There are a few that the Steelers could take, assuming they are available.