5 free agents the Steelers should aggressively pursue in March

Sam Darnold, QB

Here's a name that probably hasn't been on your radar for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I understand why. Sam Darnold doesn't exactly have the best reputation. He was a former failed first-round pick of the Jets who has bounced around from New York to Carolina to San Francisco. While this signing isn't as appealing as others, this could be a quality gamble and a potentially cheap upgrade at quarterback.

Let's be fair to Darnold; he hasn't had much to work with over the years before sitting behind Brock Purdy on the 49ers in 2023. Before that, however, he went 4-2 on a bad Carolina Panthers team while managing 8.2 yards per attempt and a very respectable 92.6 passer rating.

Darnold is a big quarterback with enough movement skills in the pocket and a cannon for an arm. What's crazy is that despite being drafted in 2018 -- Darnold is still only 26 years old. Meanwhile, Kenny Pickett turns 26 this offseason.

There's a reason why Sam Darnold was a former 3rd overall pick. He's got an excellent collection of traits. Almost all of his game experience has come with the Jets and Panthers. The Steelers should give him a look and see if he can become the quarterback everyone thought he could be. At the very least, this is a low-risk signing with a potentially large payout.