Ben Roethlisberger’s career could be coming to an end. Here five potential streamer quarterbacks for the Steelers in 2021.
With Ben Roethlisberger still unconfirmed as to what he is going to do in 2021, the Steelers need to make a contingency plan at quarterback in case they are without him. This will likely mean streaming a quarterback for a year or two as the team looks for their next franchise player. A streamer quarterback needs to be two things: good enough to start and hold their own and cheap. This doesn’t mean these quarterbacks will guide the team to a Super Bowl, but they can hold down the fort next year if need be.
Here are the five most realistic streamer quarterbacks for the Steelers in 2021.
Joe Flacco
While it may cause many a fan to wrinkle their nose, Joe Flacco makes a lot of sense on a cheap one-year deal. Will this mean the Steelers should expect a lot of success, no, but they could mount an almost respectable offense with Flacco at the helm. On the plus side, Flacco has a decent arm and can hold his own in the pocket. While his skills are in regression, he may have one more year of ok play in him.
The main issue with him is that Flacco obviously has no long-term future as a starting quarterback. This would be a one and done type thing, where Flacco wins the team a few games to set them up to draft a long-term replacement. Would this be ideal, not really, but it would work for a year. As well, Flacco would likely only play for around the minimum, so he will be cheap. While it wouldn’t be an exciting move, the team streaming Flacco for a year could work if worst came to worse.
Dwayne Haskins
While his signing has caused a lot of turmoil amidst the Steelers community, like it or not, Dwayne Haskins is officially a Steelers player. While it is premature to expect him to start, the team could allow him to sink or swim if Roethlisberger retires. He has some playing time with Washington, and while his overall play was hit and miss, he does have a lot of pedigree as a former top-15 pick.
As well, he would be playing behind an upgraded offensive line with more weapons than he did in Washington. His issues seem to be more mental, as he struggled with pocket awareness and decision making as a starter. On top of that, reports say that he struggled with learning the playbook, and his off the field antics aided in his early departure from Washington. Of all the names on this list, he certainly has the highest risk.
That said, the team may decide to see what he can do as the starter. They have nothing to lose, as they have next to nothing invested in him. At the end of the day, starting Haskins means they really see something in him. If they are willing to go into next year with him leading this team, they must think that he could be a true franchise player. While it would go against the status quo, starting Haskins would quickly determine if he has what it takes to be a starter in this league.
Mitchell Trubisky
The first two options listed would be an acceptance of sorts from the Steelers. We won’t win, and we are ok with that as it sets us up better to get our franchise quarterback next year. Mitchell Trubisky is a different case though, as he has flashed the ability to be a franchise player, but his inconsistencies have made it impossible for the Bears to invest in him as such.
With Trubisky set to be a free agent this offseason, it would make a lot of sense for the Steelers to kick the tires on him if they hope to get their guy in free agency. He would be the most expensive player so far on this list, but he would arguably be the best fit in terms of the Steelers trying to be a competitive team in 2021. As well, if he rebounds and plays well, he could parlay that into a long-term deal with the Steelers.
There are cons to Trubisky as well. He will likely command the most money out of any of the options on this list, and he has proven to make some horrible decisions as a quarterback when starting. There would be little guarantee that he would be worth the money the Steelers would have to pay him. That said, if the team truly wants to capitalize on this talented defense, Trubisky is the most likely to get the Steelers the most wins. As well though, he could also end up failing and costing the Steelers a good deal of money while failing.
Ryan Fitzpatrick
While it seems like Ryan Fitzpatrick has played on almost every team in the NFL, he has yet to be on a Steelers roster. If Roethlisberger was to retire, Fitzpatrick is a logical choice to be brought in. He is a happy medium between Flacco and Trubisky: he is old enough where his contract won’t be that high but talented enough that he could lead this offense to an ok season. Meanwhile, the Steelers could look to find a potential successor in the draft next year after a year of Fitzpatrick starting.
To be blunt, it is nearly impossible to make a streaming quarterbacks list without Fitzpatrick as that is how he has carved out such a long career in the NFL. He has never been a starter for long term, but he does a great job of filling for a few years as a team transitions to a new quarterback. He did that this year with the Dolphins and has done it for most teams over the course of his career.
Obviously, Fitzpatrick has no long-term starting potential, but to stream him for a year or two could while a younger option learns the ropes could do the Steelers wonders. As well, as evident by his solid play this year, Fitzpatrick can still play well. There isn’t any reason to believe his above-average play stops if he comes to the Steelers. He would have a decent line and a plethora of passing weapons. While it would be unlikely, the Steelers very well could compete for a wildcard spot with Fitzpatrick leading the way.
Mason Rudolph
While all of the names have a chance to end up as a Steelers starting quarterback, the leader of the pack is Mason Rudolph. If Roethlisberger were to announce his retirement today, the Steelers would likely label Rudolph their starter tomorrow. The team likes what they have in him, and given the fact he is on the final year of his rookie deal, it could be high time for him to prove he can be a starter at the NFL level.
While success isn’t a sure thing with him, he did show a lot of promise in his lone start this season. If he can build off that with a new offensive coordinator and a hopefully improved running game, Rudolph could progress to the point where he is a viable starter. Even if he doesn’t the Steelers don’t have much to lose. He could fall flat on his face which would allow for the team to gain a better draft pick and target a quarterback the following year.
Given the fact he is entering his fourth year with the team, Rudolph is the clear favorite quarterback to stream if Roethlisberger retires. He knows the playbook and is well entrenched on the team. While his potential isn’t too high, he flashed enough this year to at least deserve a chance. Like it or not, Roethlisberger retiring will lead to Rudolph starting in 2021.
While streaming a quarterback is never the desired option, the Steelers may be forced to try it this season. It will all be dependent on what Roethlisberger decides to do, but if he opts to retire, the team at least has options going forward. While none of the above options are likely franchise guys, they could be serviceable for a year or two as the team attempts to draft their successor.