While it has been a mostly successful offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the lone issue that is still plaguing the team is who starts at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers has been non-committal about coming to the team, Mason Rudolph is signed but not a great starter, and Will Howard is a sixth-round pick who isn’t even locked into a roster spot.
Things look dire for the Steelers, to say the least.
While fans still want Rodgers for some reason, he can’t be seen as the best fit for the team at this point. Following the trade of George Pickens, this offense needs a reset. This puts you in a better spot to land a quarterback a year from now.
That doesn’t mean you have to ignore a quarterback right now, though. The team likes to carry four quarterbacks into training camp, so a veteran is needed to fill the room. Tyler Huntley would make the most sense for a wide variety of reasons.
The Pittsburgh Steelers would benefit from adding Tyler Huntley
Looking over the options in free agency, no one stands out. While Carson Wentz is the best option not named Aaron Rodgers, he doesn’t provide much that Rudolph can’t already do.
You have some lower-level names who offer potential upside. Desmond Ridder would make the most sense in that regard. With Skylar Thompson and Howard already battling for that last spot, though, it doesn’t make sense to add a player of that caliber.
Tyler Huntley is both experienced and versatile. He has the mobility that this team wanted to keep with Justin Fields, and he can make some plays in the passing game. He could challenge to start, but more than likely, he would be a unique backup behind Rudolph.
The Steelers clearly want athleticism in their quarterback, so keeping a body like that in the room makes sense. They can continue to experiment with how that player can be used in case they draft a scrambling quarterback next year.
Huntley can provide just that and on the cheap. He won’t make this room inherently better, but he can add a different dimension to this offense. Long-term, it can keep the team in tune with how to utilize an athletic quarterback if that is the route they go down in 2026.