Despite numerous attempts to fix the issue, the Pittsburgh Steelers still find themselves without a legitimate franchise quarterback. They have explored almost every avenue, and while results have varied, no one has been able to truly stick.
Steelers fans are getting rightfully frustrated.
Now with the offseason here, it is beginning to look more and more likely that the team will turn to veteran Aaron Rodgers once again, an uninspiring choice given his age and performance last year. A large conglomerate of fans wants the Steelers to blindly turn to Will Howard, but given his inexperience and the team’s perennial goal of 'winning now', that feels unlikely.
If Rodgers doesn’t return or the team just decides to go in a different direction, there is really only one name that sticks out as a potential franchise quarterback who should be available. With the draft class weak at the position, Malik Willis stands out as a young and intriguing option.
If Spotrac is to be believed, though, he has already priced himself out of Pittsburgh, as they have given him an estimated cost of $35.5 million in average annual contract value once a team agrees to sign him in free agency.
The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t risk that much money on free-agent QB Malik Willis
I am an adamant Willis supporter. Heck, I wanted the Steelers to draft him over Kenny Pickett in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Coming out of Liberty, Willis was the classic traits quarterback who needed to clean up his mechanics and prove that he could hang with professionals. That never happened in Tennessee, and he was shipped off to Green Bay to be the backup there.
As a fan of his, that was a great spot. He went to a quarterback-friendly coach and was given the time to sit and learn as a backup with no pressure to start. While his opportunities were limited, the patience paid off as he looked dynamic when allowed to play.
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Now a pending free agent, Willis is set to get another shot at starting. This isn’t the first time a highly touted quarterback has gotten a second chance. We have seen numerous find their footing once they land in the right system. We just saw a similar story unfold with Sam Darnold en route to his Super Bowl win.
However, none of those second-hand options came with the projected price tag that Willis has. Baker Mayfield was paid just $4 million on his initial one-year contract with Tampa Bay. Sam Darnold only got $10 million with the Vikings before breaking out. Even Daniel Jones only got $14 million—and he was projected to start right away with the Colts.
All of this to say, I’m skeptical that Willis gets as much as he is being projected. That said, there aren’t a lot of quarterback options right now for any team, so his value will likely be inflated.
Willis has all of the tools, and in a perfect world, I would take him over an elderly Rodgers any day. That said, if his contract comes in anywhere near what Spotrac is projecting, he is a clear pass for the Pittsburgh Steelers.