Should Dwayne Haskins start for Steelers in the 2022 NFL season?

With a quarterback change seemingly on the horizon for the Pittsburgh Steelers, would Dwayne Haskins be as good an option as anybody else?

Even though it is yet to be “confirmed,” everyone and their mother knows that legendary Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is fixing to call it quits. With that in mind, looking for a replacement to orchestrate next season’s offense should be a priority for Pittsburgh.

There have been multiple perspectives discussed regarding this predicament, ranging from drafting Pittsburgh Panther Kenny Pickett to, more recently, trading for San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo. Along with this, of course, have come several other strange predictions.

But through it all, a new opinion has made the rounds in the Steelers social media wheel, and that is giving Pittsburgh benchwarmer Dwayne Haskins the reins for a year. By face value, such a take may sound foolish, but is it really?

For starters, what all would be harmed by giving Haskins a shot? Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl chances? They haven’t had those in a decade, so how badly would one more season hurt the fans in that regard?

Better yet, who else in the Steelers QB room is a much better option than Haskins anyway? Josh Dobbs certainly isn’t, and Rudolph already had his chance to make an impact back in 2019 (which didn’t appear to leave the loveliest impression).

Now yes, Haskins has had his maturity questioned before, and rightfully so. However, he has been out of the spotlight for quite some time now, and that may have given him some time to construct some humility. Not only that, but the modern-day Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t seemed to prioritize character too much in the first place.

It could also be argued that Haskins is the best bet for a dual-threat QB, as the combination of his passing and rushing capabilities surpass those of both Rudolph and Dobbs. In fact, the need to throw fewer interceptions is perhaps the only on-field obstacle that he has to overcome in becoming rather solid under center.

The reasoning behind all the Haskins hype

Despite all of these positives, though, the paramount reason for seeing something in Haskins boils down to the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft being all the easier to operate.

Entering this offseason slate, the Steelers are in need of a quarterback, offensive linemen, and defensive playmakers (particularly in the secondary). Removing the quarterback slot from that checklist would take a ton off of Pittsburgh’s shoulders, as picking a fitting QB for your team is much harder than doing so for the O-line and defense.

When selecting an offensive lineman, get the biggest guy who is relatively fast and great at blocking. When selecting a defensive back, get one that is the fastest (most namely in man coverage) and has good hands. Meanwhile, selecting a QB requires much more strategic thinking.

Quarterback play is inconsistent depending on whatever playstyle the offense practices, not every QB is going to work with every playbook. With Haskins already having known the Steelers offensive scheme, he has an advantage over any QB that Pittsburgh could possibly snatch.

Again, the Pittsburgh Steelers probably won’t be hoisting up their seventh Lombardi anytime soon, regardless of the quarterback leading them down the field next Fall. However, there are certainly multiple perks to Haskins being given his chance. So why not make that happen?