The Steelers suffer from a case of ‘Tom Brady syndrome’

It’s no secret the Steelers have a decision to make when the season ends, especially if Ben Roethlisberger decides to retire.

Whether the Steelers opt to address their quarterback situation through a trade, free agency, or the draft, everyone and their uncle have or will make predictions. Sure it’s a valid question to ask as all fans will wait with bated breath to hear the name the Steelers call on draft night.

However, few stop to consider a more poignant question within all the discussions and predictions of who Steelers should draft or the free agents they should sign. How did the Steelers allow themselves to slip into this situation?

The question has a fairly simple answer. The Steelers are suffering from a case of Tom Brady syndrome. It’s not the first time the Steelers have been In such a situation. The Steelers are not the only NFL team to have the same problem either.

What is Tom Brady syndrome? It’s the condition when you have a quarterback that seemingly defies time and becomes an iconic institution in the city they play.  Thus teams allow them to play well beyond their prime and continue to place players around him while hoping this enables him to lead the team to at least one more season of glory before riding off into the sunset.

Then in doing that, they pass up prime opportunities to address the issue before it becomes a problem. At which point, the quarterback position becomes a huge liability. Teams then brush up against the salary cap or have dead cap money for several seasons down the road hampering efforts to rebuild a team.

Teams wait until too late and make poor knee-jerk reactions to a problem they could have solved several seasons prior. The poor decision-making then forces teams to turn towards the draft in years when the options are not as plentiful. Or they try putting a band-aid on the situation by drafting aging free agent veterans or burn draft capital in future drafts by trading for someone they hope will save them.