It is no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers are lacking a franchise quarterback. They have been for years, and the team has tried desperately to fill that hole on the roster with a multitude of options.
We saw this team try draft their face of the franchise, trade for a reclamation project, and attempt to revitalize some veterans' careers, all with mediocre (or worse) results. Once again, the Steelers stare down the barrel of the quarterback dilemma.
However, they may have just been handed their perfect next target.
The Arizona Cardinals announced that they are releasing veteran quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason. The former first overall pick has experienced a lot of success in Arizona, but has struggled as of late to put everything together.
In a world where Aaron Rodgers feels like the most likely quarterback for the team, the news of Murray’s release should quickly make them pivot.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should target Kyler Murray over Aaron Rodgers
Let me make my stance clear: I don’t believe Murray is inherently a better quarterback than Rodgers. Nor do I think he moves the needle of this team that much. However, the situation around bringing him in is far more appealing.
Murray has every tangible advantage on his side. He is younger, far more athletic, and still has the chance (albeit not high) of being a team’s franchise quarterback. If Rodgers returns, he has one more season in him, and that’s it.
Even with the upside favoring Murray, he will also be cheaper. Having been cut and still owed a lot of guaranteed money, Murray can sign for the veteran minimum and collect a large paycheck from the Cardinals. We saw the same thing happen with Russell Wilson a few years ago.
Rodgers won’t be expensive by any means, but you will have savings in excess of $10 million dollars by going with Murray. That cash can go a long way elsewhere.
In a perfect world, Murray recaptures his early play and settles in as the Steelers' franchise quarterback at only 29 years old. More than likely, he leads this team to a similar finish as last year, and Pittsburgh still wants to draft their guy next year.
If that happens, someone signs Murray for a decent contract a year from now, and the Steelers get a compensatory pick for him. It’s a win-win.
While my quarterback dreams revolve around Will Howard being allowed to sink or swim, I realize that it isn’t likely to occur. I don’t know why this team would go for Rodgers over Murray right now, though.
Murray will be cheaper and could provide more to this team long-term. At worst, both lead this team to a similar finish, but Murray will still have interest from other teams next year. He needs to be the target if the Steelers are dead set on a veteran quarterback this season.