8 veteran quarterbacks the Steelers should target in 2022

Steelers should target Dalton

While never a spectacular option, Andy Dalton has been a success as a second-round quarterback. Dalton was an extremely strong and dependable starter with the Bengals, and even became a top-level quarterback for a few seasons in the mid-2010s. Dalton has been progressively regressing since then, but he can still hold his own in the pocket.

Dalton is a consummate team player as well. Despite being replaced early in the process by rookie Justin Fields, he has been a supportive team player and hasn’t made a deal despite being promised to start this season. He didn’t look overly impressive in his little bit of playing time, but like the options before, Dalton can play well enough with a strong offense around him.

Dalton is a solid but unspectacular option for the team that will need a stable quarterback in 2022. He has proven to be a team player even if he isn’t starting, so the Steelers could land him for a few years as they build the offense up before drafting their eventual franchise quarterback. Dalton would be a familiar face and one that could start for the short term for the franchise.

Steelers should target Bridgewater

From here, the options dip into the more expensive ones and the ones that would likely require a multi-year commitment. The least of the top three options is Teddy Bridgewater. The former first-round pick started the year off strong, but his limitations have resurfaced. Bridgewater is focused on making the safe play in the short and intermediate as opposed to pushing the ball deep down the field.

Denver’s hot start has significantly cooled as the team faced off against better teams, but he has still looked like an above-average quarterback. The mistakes have been upped in recent weeks, as evident by five interceptions over the past three games. That said, Bridgewater is notoriously consistent as a quarterback, as he has always averaged around 7.1-7.6 yards per attempt minus his 2018 season as a backup with the Saints.

Bridgewater has proven that he can be an efficient quarterback with the Broncos this season, and the Steelers would be wise to see what he wants in 2022. Assuming the Broncos move on from him, Bridgewater would be able to comfortably start for the next few seasons. He isn’t anything spectacular, but he could give the team a legitimate option past Roethlisberger in 2022.