Seemingly no decision-makers have come out publicly to defend Kenny Pickett's starting spot at quarterback next season. It is still early but everything that leaks out of the Steelers headquarters shows that the club is more than willing to listen to potential options to upgrade their starting spot. That speaks volumes about their distrust in Pickett being the franchise guy which is a total flip-flop of what they said when he was drafted in 2022.
He has not been good, and his second season wasn't the step ahead that many expected. He will be 26 years old when next season starts, so his progression might be capped. Pittsburgh seems to have that thought in the back of their mind and plenty of reports have them connected to almost every starting-caliber quarterback available this offseason. Keep an eye out for the black and gold this offseason.
Kirk Cousins will price himself out of the Steelers budget this offseason
Coming in as the least likely is Kirk Cousins. It makes little sense for the Steelers to go out and spend a lot of money on a quarterback. They have plenty of other flaws on their roster that they have to take care of first. Signing a free agent like Cousins would call for a massive cap purge this offseason, only for Pittsburgh to spend most of it on this free agent.
Right now, it seems like Cousins will be one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason if he makes it to market. He is the best option out there for the Steelers if they are looking for a quarterback who is proven and can help them compete in a playoff push. It is unlikely to happen even though the reports are out there that Cousins would consider the Steelers.
It all comes down to money and the black and gold are still trying to shrink down their cap situation. That could be an easy fix, but opening enough spending cash to land a quarterback like Cousins might be too rich. Unless he was willing to go on a short-term deal and for cheaper, Cousins signing in Pittsburgh doesn't seem like a realistic scenario at the moment.
This idea of Russell Wilson joining the Steelers has been something fans have rumored for a couple of years now. Once he was on the trade block with the Seattle Seahawks, many fans started to demand the addition of Wilson. He was known as a reliable veteran quarterback at the time and someone who could elevate the quarterback play to another level.
Wilson ended up being dealt to the Denver Broncos for a haul of picks and a ginormous contract extension. He is an aging quarterback and his time in Denver did not go to plan. The Broncos started to show signs of progress last season, but they still missed the playoffs. Wilson started to play better under Head Coach Sean Payton, but it was nothing special either.
He is an aging quarterback who seems to be showing signs of decline. He had a tremendous career with the Seahawks, but his time in the mountains of Denver has seen him turn into a different player. Wilson is still a smart guy, but he isn't going to beat defenses with his past ways. He must rely on being a smart veteran quarterback who limits turnovers and adds points to the board.
It doesn't make sense for the Steelers to trade for Wilson. If the Broncos do release him then this could be a possibility. One would have to imagine that Wilson wants a place where he can win and make some cash too. The Steelers can't afford a huge contract to an aging quarterback, but it makes a little more sense than Cousins since Wilson's reputation has fallen.
No other name on this list has been hotter in the rumor mill to the Steelers this past week than Justin Fields. The starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears is in an awkward situation right now. He has been the starter for the Bears since he was drafted barring a couple of games that Andy Dalton played in. Things have not gone well in Chicago as the Bears will hold the top pick in the upcoming draft.
Fields has talent, but one of the main issues for him has been the high number of turnovers and lack of talent around him. The thought of trading for Fields is that he remains young and could take another step with a change of scenery. The rumors started to get to another level this past week as the betting odds for the landing spot of Fields shot up for the Steelers quickly over a week.
We also know that Mike Tomlin liked Fields coming out of college, but the Steelers were never close to the right draft positioning to take him. We also know that rumors are saying that others in the front office of Pittsburgh also like Fields. If the Steelers could acquire him via trade for less than what the Bears are reportedly demanding, then it could make sense.
Fields would produce more as the starter over Pickett, but he could also be a liability in terms of turnovers. The Steelers would be taking a big gamble if they traded for Fields at the price that Chicago is asking for currently. It makes sense, but Fields hasn't won much in the NFL and his number of turnovers are concerning. Maybe a change of scenery would pay off for both Fields and the team trading for him, but they won't pay that price.
Even though there are reports out there about Mason Rudolph wanting a fresh start elsewhere next season, he has to remain on this list. Reports are saying that Rudolph enjoyed his time starting towards the end of the Steelers season, which helped the team clinch a playoff berth. Under his leadership at quarterback, the Steelers offense looked completely different.
It exposed how poorly both Pickett and Mitch Trubisky had played during their starts last season. Rudolph jumped onto the field and got this offense to a winning level. Has he gotten to another level at this point in his career, no. But he was able to show that he is a quality bridge guy or backup. He proved it not only to Pittsburgh but to the other 31 teams in the NFL.
Money talks, but it seems like the potential new situation elsewhere might be more enticing for Rudolph. He will explore the free agency market this offseason and see if there are more suitors than last year. There were no other options last free agency other than re-signing with the Steelers. It should be different this time around.
Until he signs elsewhere, it is possible that Rudolph could return on a more expensive and longer contract than he had before. He proved that he can not only provide quality starts, but that he can help your team win football games. If he can't find a better situation elsewhere, expect Rudolph to still be a top target for the black and gold to re-sign.
Rudolph would have been the top choice at quarterback for the Steelers if the report about him wanting to go elsewhere hadn't leaked. It seems probable that Rudolph will be on another team come next season unless something changes over the coming weeks. The Steelers will have to pivot to a realistic option in free agency if Rudolph fails to re-sign.
Ryan Tannehill has been circled on the possible quarterback options for Pittsburgh when free agency rolls around. It makes a lot of sense, and it is believed that the black and gold will show interest in the veteran quarterback if the pending free agent makes it to market. This would not be the high-profile guy fans are demanding, but it is the more likely situation.
The Steelers just hired Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator, and he held that same position with the Tennessee Titans during Tannehill's best seasons of his career. He would fit right into what Smith wants and provide a veteran option who has a lot of starting experience in the NFL. One would have to imagine that he wouldn't cost an arm and a leg either after being benched last season.
The Titans fell apart last year, and Tannehill played a part in that. He has lost some of the qualities that made him a decent starter in the league with the Titans. His age is starting to catch up to him and that might make him better off as a backup. When you look at this list, Tannehill signing in free agency to push Pickett for his starting spot and the club drafting a quarterback in the mid to later rounds of the upcoming draft makes the most sense when you see what the Steelers normally do.