Why didn’t the Steelers do this?
That then leaves the question as to why Pittsburgh decided to operate like this. To me, it is a simple answer. There is a lot of inherent risk in rolling with a quarterback like Trubisky for a year or two. Namely, the odds would likely be that this team would have ended up having a losing season.
Personally, I am okay with that in the short term as long as it doesn’t become a lasting trend. Good teams can have off years, but if you are adding some premium talent and still building for the future, I am all for it. The alternative is settling for quarterback purgatory, where your starter does just enough to keep you in the middle of the pack but not enough to transcend that.
With two seasons of Pickett just about finished, I think it is safe to say that he is more of a purgatory quarterback than an actual great franchise option. Settling for him will lead to a lot of what we have seen so far. 9-8 seasons where the team does just enough for a winning record, but not enough to be competitors.
I’m nervous that that is the new standard for this team. Mike Tomlin defenders are quick to point to his streak of non-losing seasons, but is not losing enough? I’m not even in the adamant “Fire Tomlin” crowd, but I can admit that this team has a clear problem with him right now.
Firing Canada was a necessary move for this team, as he clearly wasn’t part of the answer. For those claiming he was the only issue or at least the only big issue, you were mistaken. This team is riddled with concerning problems. If they aren’t resolved soon, this team will continue to live in mediocrity.