4 offseason catastrophes the Pittsburgh Steelers must avoid in 2024

Steelers Can't Ignore Opportunities to Upgrade at Quarterback

The fanbase is rather divided about quarterbacks, and for good reason. Mason Rudolph played exceptionally well all things considered when given a chance and helped put the team in the playoffs. Kenny Pickett played well in what limited opportunity we saw him without Canada calling his plays.

Regardless, neither inspired much hope for the future at the position. Both are leagues away from the quarterbacks in the playoffs who had a more realistic chance of reaching the Super Bowl than Pittsburgh.

One thing is likely for certain, the Steelers won't use the 20th overall pick on a quarterback and they likely won't package it to trade up to get one either. Rudolph and Pickett's competition will likely come from free agency.

It is a bit more likely the Steelers could trade for a quarterback like Justin Fields, but it would be an aggressive move for a team that has pressing concerns outside of the quarterback position.

The names to watch are Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield. Both have ample reason to stay with their respective teams, but if they are available, the Steelers have to do their due diligence and at least kick the tires. Neither will be cheap, Cousins for sure, but both are proven to be more than capable of leading a team to the playoffs.

Expectations at quarterback should be tempered overall, though. Rudolph still has to re-sign, after all. It might be more realistic for the Steelers to target a Jameis Winston or Ryan Tannehill, someone a bit more comfortable with losing the job to Kenny Pickett, but still capable of helping him come into his own and step in reliably should he get injured once again.