On Thursday, January 21st, the Steelers signed young quarterback Dwayne Haskins to the team. What does this mean for Pittsburgh?
With the addition of Dwayne Haskins to the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback unit, that makes four QBs that have gained some sort of attention in the league and media that the Steel City has in its possession. While this move may seem rather minuscule by face value, Pittsburgh fans have given mixed reactions to it. Some have welcomed him aboard effortlessly, recognizing his potential down the line when surrounded by an outstanding array of offensive weapons and an esteemed sideline. Meanwhile, some others have shown skepticism, considering his past drama and undesirable performances in the short span of time that he has spent in the NFL so far.
Regardless of how one feels on the matter, the signing has undoubtedly left everyone curious as to what this means for the Steelers moving forward. Well, such a move would obviously give off implications about what could happen next for the quarterback situation in particular. Depending on the ways that you choose to observe the decision, you can see it meaning something regarding the futures of Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, and even Josh Dobbs. With that said, here are three things that we have learned from the Steelers’ signing of Dwayne Haskins.
Ben Roethlisberger’s days are certainly numbered
After the vibes following the Wild Card heartbreak, this was already a widely accepted theory. We thought that Big Ben could/should/would retire, but then there were statements from head coach Mike Tomlin and Roethlisberger himself that pointed towards him at least coming back to wrap up the last year of his current contract. However, some had thought (and perhaps hoped) that this upcoming season could maybe resuscitate Ben’s drive and possibly end up with him playing even longer. However, the organization signing a third quarterback really kills the chances of that for me.
This gives off the impression that a “combine” will take place, if you will, between Haskins, Rudolph, and Dobbs to see who will be the frontrunner to succeed Roethlisberger. I see it as a method to play the odds of remaining a competitor after Ben’s departure, due to this adding not just any other quarterback to the roster, but a young and more athletic one.
As I previously stated, this is no shocking revelation. Steelers fans knew that Ben most likely had only one more season in him. All this move did was make a huge stride in the direction of that thought becoming a reality.