While the talk of the 2022 Steelers is who will be the starting quarterback, expecting a rookie to take the lead seems unlikely right now.
With the Steelers 2021 season having its fair share of offensive issues, many are looking to 2022, and more specifically to the 2022 quarterback draft class.
While the team will eventually have to draft its replacement at quarterback, expecting that to happen in 2022 isn’t a promise. Here are the six reasons the Steelers won’t draft a quarterback in 2022.
Ben Roethlisberger could be back
The unlikeliest of the options, there is still a marginal chance that Ben Roethlisberger returns as the Steelers starter in 2022. While his contract is set to void shortly after the 2021 season, a new deal isn’t out of the question for the veteran. If the team thinks they still can win a Super Bowl with their current roster and Roethlisberger thinks he has another season in him, he may be the team’s first choice in 2022.
While a definite possibility, the start of the 2021 season has cast quite a bit of doubt onto that. Roethlisberger has flashed a better deep ball, but his accuracy and decision-making are definitely down. As well, with a worsened offensive unit around him, Roethlisberger has struggled to be a difference-maker at quarterback.
To say it would be a bad choice to bring back Roethlisberger for one last season isn’t an understatement. The veteran is clearly playing some of his worst football right now, and while he is serviceable as a starter, his skills are going to continue to regress. It would be quite a testament to the team if their first choice is bringing back Roethlisberger for another go in 2022.
The Steelers aren’t set to tank in 2021
The entirety of this argument is predicated on the following: the Steelers won’t have a top ten pick in 2022. Sure, the start of the season hasn’t been great, but the team isn’t a bottom-five team in the NFL. When healthy, this defense is a true difference-maker, and while the offense isn’t great, it can do enough to win when the defense is firing on all cylinders.
Assuming the Steelers are picking, at worst, somewhere in the teens, it limits what quarterback they could target. While in a rare circumstance a stop quarterback will fall that far in the draft, more often than not, the best quarterbacks are taken in the top ten. If the Steelers play well enough to avoid that high of a draft pick, finding a quarterback becomes harder.
Sure, the team could look into the second round or later for their future quarterback, but the odds of finding a true franchise quarterback that late is unlikely. Occasionally a team gets lucky, but for the most part, quarterbacks are first-round picks or busts. The Steelers, more than likely, won’t be in a high enough draft position in 2022 to land a top quarterback.
Steelers are short on draft picks
Assuming the Steelers are out of the top ten of the draft, that leaves trading up as the only potential way to land their quarterback. Moves like that are never cheap, and the team has never been one to make aggressive moves up in the draft. Outside of Devin Bush and Troy Polamalu, this team is more than likely to stand pat and see what prospects fall to them in any given draft class.
If the Steelers do have a quarterback that they fall in love with though, and he isn’t projected to fall to them, the team doesn’t have much to offer up in a trade. This draft is devoid of picks after the Steelers traded away their fourth-sixth round picks for various different players. As of now, they have their first three picks and two seventh-round picks secured.
They are projected to receive at least a third-round comp pick for Bud Dupree signing with the Titans. They have a potential fifth-round pick coming their way as well, but that is far more up in the air after the Ahkello Witherspoon trade. More than likely, the team will have just six picks in the draft.
This means a move-up will require the team to give up resources in 2023. While the team has a history of trading away future picks, typically those are mid-late round choices, not first-round picks that are usually involved in a deal like this. Trading up for their quarterback of the future is a possibility, but the team is lacking the resources needed to make such a move on paper.
Steelers have free-agent options
While not the Steelers’ way, nor an overly successful strategy in the league, the Steelers would be far more likely to sign a veteran quarterback in 2022 to be their starter than drafting one. No, this wouldn’t be for the long term, as any quarterback they signed next offseason would be more of a bridge, but they would be experienced NFL veterans.
Names like Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston would be the top two names given that their current teams are showing they can succeed in the right system with a solid team around them. The lower-level names are far more likely though, as Marcus Mariota, Jacoby Brissett, or even Mitchell Trubisky could be realistic targets for a short-term contract.
The expectation here isn’t for one of those quarterbacks, outside of maybe Bridgewater or Winston, to be the franchise guy. Instead, they know what to expect as NFL veterans and can provide good-not-great quarterback play. Considering the Steelers will have some roster concerns beyond quarterback in 2022, finding a veteran with the knowledge of playing with a lackluster team would make more sense than relying on a rookie who would be going into a bad situation.
Steelers have in-house options
Before I go any farther, let me make myself clear that I don’t believe any of the backup quarterbacks that the Steelers have are anything more than backups. Despite some upside, the team’s future franchise quarterback isn’t on the roster. That said, either Dwayne Haskins or Mason Rudolph could certainly be the bridge quarterback for a season or two.
Looking first at Haskins, the least likely of the two, he flashed some good and bad during the preseason. He is only under contract for one year, but the team has the rights to him as a restricted free agent next offseason and can have him back for between two-three million for one year. Assuming the team picks up that option, he will likely insert himself into the quarterback competition.
The more likely solution is Rudolph, as the veteran signed a small extension to remain with the Steelers through next season. Considering the contract and the draft investment made in him, he should be the favorite to be the starter in 2022. Again, I have my doubts in terms of his franchise potential, but the Steelers clearly like him enough. He would be cheaper than any free agent brought in, and the results (a year or two to build the rest of the team before drafting their guy) would likely be the same.
Steelers aren’t ready for a rookie quarterback
While the Steelers will have some major questions at quarterback next offseason, the team as a whole will likely see some key talent depart. The offense will take some losses at receiver and will still be looking for ways to improve their line. The defense should retain most of its talented front seven, but the secondary may lose some talent in Joe Haden and Terrell Edmunds. Simply adding a rookie quarterback with all of these issues isn’t a recipe for success.
We have seen this scenario play out multiple times, and even the rookie class from this season are having their issues on bad teams. The Jaguars and Jets are still two of the league’s worst teams despite having rookie quarterbacks as the team they have surrounded that rookie with mediocre talent. It’s rare for a rookie to have instant success, as they need time to develop before reaching their best play. Any rookie that excels typically has a talented team around them.
The Steelers would be far better off using their limited draft capital and a moderate amount of cap space to rebuild this line and secondary while adding playmakers elsewhere. In a year or two, once the core of a talented team is in place, then you go and get the rookie quarterback unless whomever you started in the meantime (likely Rudolph) has exceeded expectations. Throwing a rookie quarterback into the fire next year isn’t a recipe for success.
While the Steelers will have some serious quarterback questions in 2022, the odds of them drafting one aren’t that high. To be frank, this team isn’t ready for a rookie to take over, and with the limited resources this team has, they would be better spent on building the team first. Don’t be surprised to see a veteran take the helm next season as the Steelers shy away from drafting their franchise quarterback in 2022.