Now that the offseason has kicked into motion, the Steelers will have plenty of rumors surrounding them. Talk shows around the sports universe love to talk and speculate about what Pittsburgh and every team around the league will do. Each club wants to better their team, and the black and gold have a lot of work to do.
Trying to find out the truth can be tricky especially when most of these are speculation. Rumors will be running rampant around the NFL over the next couple of months. The Steelers will be in the heart of that as they try and improve their team while currently being over the cap. It will be a long and busy offseason for Omar Khan and company.
The speculative report has the Steelers looking for a starting quarterback
Dan Orlovsky went onto TV a couple of days ago and voiced his displeasure with the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh. Mason Rudolph did a great job after becoming the starter for Pittsburgh. Kenny Pickett looks like a bust and Rudolph is scheduled to become a free agent, so who knows where he will end up.
Anyway, the idea thrown out there by Orlovsky was bringing in one of three potential options to start or push Pickett for the starting gig in Pittsburgh. There are a couple of options that would make sense for the black and gold. Keep an eye on both free agency and different trade options too. Maybe the Steelers will try to get someone.
Two big names in the upcoming free agency class were named. The other was a young quarterback that needs a change of scenery which could result in a trade. This article will dissect every option that Orlovsky mentioned a couple of days ago on his show. He is never afraid to put his thoughts and ideas out there into the world.
Baker Mayfield would make sense on a short-short-term deal with the Steelers
Up first is Baker Mayfield, who has done a tremendous job at rejuvenating his career. He was able to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past season and win the job. From there he helped lead his team to a division title and playoff success. He has earned a starting job for another year or two after his performance this year.
The biggest concern with this option is the idea that Tampa would allow Mayfield to walk in free agency. The club has no other options in their starting spot. It seems likely that Mayfield will re-sign with the Bucs before he has a chance to hit the free agency market. But stranger things have happened between a pending free agent and his current team before.
Pittsburgh should show interest in Mayfield if he does somehow hit the open market in March. A deal with Mayfield would probably mean you are moving on from Pickett. You could say it's a competition, but few people would believe Pickett would beat out Mayfield for the job. Mayfield would sign with the Steelers knowing he will likely win the job.
A contract that would make sense for Mayfield would probably land in a two to three-year offer. That should include a reasonable yearly salary of a borderline starter at around 10 to 15 million per season. The Steelers would need to open up spending change, but Mayfield would be a good option.
Justin Fields trade rumors to Pittsburgh just don't go away
Justin Fields might be the most realistic option of the three quarterback ideas mentioned by Orlovsky. It makes sense as the Steelers quarterback room is boring and stale, and Fields is an electric playmaker. Maybe going from one struggling young quarterback to another wouldn't be the most ideal situation.
The difference between Fields and Pickett talent-wise is night and day. Fields has better physical traits that could help him grow his game more. He is actually younger than Pickett. The biggest issue is that the Steelers would need to modify their offensive approach.
Fields will excel in a different style of offense, and Pittsburgh has failed to show they are willing to make that change. It does make sense when it comes to the idea of trading for Fields. He is a young quarterback on the cheap for another year that could turn things around.
This would be like a one-year tryout for Fields in Pittsburgh as the Steelers would need to decide on his fifth-year option after next year. That option would cost the black and gold extra money. Fields might be the best option out there, but it depends on if the Chicago Bears would deal him on the cheap.
Kirk Cousins could be the next starting quarterback for three Steelers
Finally, we land with the Minnesota Vikings pending free-agent starting quarterback. Kirk Cousins might be one of the most coveted players in free agency if he can make it to the open market. Cousins is a veteran quarterback who has been able to find success throughout his NFL career as a starter.
Some have compared Pickett's developmental ceiling to Cousins when he was coming out of college. It would be ironic for Cousins to sign in Pittsburgh and take over Pickett's starting spot for at least a couple seasons. The biggest issue will be the age of Cousins as he continues to get past his mid-30s.
Cousins will be 36 by the time the regular season starts in 2024. That is concerning and who knows how he will age over the next couple of years. A contract to Cousins will likely be fairly expensive and result in a two to three-year contract at minimum. It might be too rich for the Steelers to afford during this offseason with their current cap issues.
He would shove Pittsburgh back into playoff contention status again, and maybe they could win some playoff games. But he would be a band-aid on a bullet hole. He would only be around a couple of years and would cost a pretty penny to acquire. This just delays the quarterback issue that the Steelers currently have.