Let's face it: the Pittsburgh Steelers are in quarterback purgatory. Since Ben Roethlisberger's season-ending elbow injury in 2019 (and eventually his retirement after the 2021 season), this team has been void of quality options at the quarterback position that could lead Pittsburgh to playoff success.
Unfortunately, there's no 'one size fits all' solution to solving the franchise's greatest dilemma. This is a quarterback league and everyone else is just living in it.
There will be light at the end of the tunnel. Eventually, the Steelers will find their next franchise quarterback, and this franchise can enter the Super Bowl conversation once again. But how do we get there?
There's a multi-step process to fix the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers... and it's going to take some patience from the organization and the fanbase.
Step 1: Find a stop-gap starter for the 2025 season
Are you ready for this harsh reality check? The Steelers won't be Super Bowl contenders in 2025, regardless of what they do at the quarterback position this offseason. Every explorable option will fall short. But I guess we have to start somewhere.
A team with the best interest of future success in mind could get behind deploying a polarizing prospect—one who will live or die by slinging the pigskin all over the field. However, this isn't the Steelers. Pittsburgh cares about being competitive from year to year, and they would never bite the bullet and stomach a down season for the sake of improving their draft capital.
Because of this, we move to plan B. The first step toward solving the quarterback conundrum in Pittsburgh is finding a capable stop-gap starter. The Steelers need a quarterback who will aid in the development of the offense and keep the team afloat until they can find something a better and more stable option.
Last year, this was a combination of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. However, Wilson fell apart down the stretch as the Steeles went on a five-game skid to close the season (including the playoffs). This offseason, the potential stop-gap QB option will be even more limited.
Bringing back Wilson won't be an enticing option, and there are rumors that this is no longer on the table for the Steelers. Fields could potentially fill this role and hold down the fort. Another season in Arthur Smith's offense could give him enough rapport with the team for another playoff push in 2025.
Looking for outside help at quarterback this offseason is an option that may only include a grab-bag of hasbeens. If Aaron Rodgers wants to keep playing and won't be part of the Jets' plans on offense, the 41-year-old could be an option. The Steelers could also elect to fork up for Sam Darnold in free agency.
A last-ditch effort would be trading for a veteran quarterback, perhaps someone like Matthew Stafford or Derek Carr. However, their respective teams may not be willing to part with their starting quarterback. Regardless of what they do, the Steelers simply need a respectable stop-gap QB who could lead the charge in 2025.
Step 2: Throwing a dart on a QB in the 2025 NFL Draft
The 2025 quarterback class isn't as bad as the 2022 class (when the Steelers insisted on taking Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick), but it's not a strong group overall. Still, there's nothing more important than the quarterback position in football and it's hard to justify not selecting one in the draft when Skylar Thompson is the only QB under contract (and may not even be deserving of a QB3 role).
Because of this, the Steelers need to throw a dart at the QB board and see if it sticks. More likely than not, whichever quarterback they select in the 2025 NFL Draft will be nothing more than a backup QB in time. However, there's always a chance you could strike gold.
To increase the likelihood of finding a potential long-term quarterback in the 2025 draft, the Steelers need to swing for the fences by taking a quarterback with the tools and upside to eventually develop into something.
Over the past few years in the NFL Draft, nobody should fault the Tennessee Titans for taking a swing on Will Levis in the second round. The same can be said for the Colts' decision to draft Anthony Richardson. Both quarterbacks have remarkable physical traits, and with some fine-tuning, there is franchise QB potential.
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More often than not, taking a stab at talent alone isn't going to work, but the process is right. For instance, the Patriots are already drawing interest from teams about backup QB Joe Milton III. New England threw a dart at a talented QB in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft after selecting Drake Maye with the third overall pick.
This year, there isn't a plethora of QB talent worth gambling on, but a few names are worth a shot. Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart checks nearly all of the boxes when it comes to tools and production to be a potential starting quarterback, while Louisville's Tyler Shough has outstanding size and arm talent.
The worst that could happen is these guys play themselves out of the league in a few years. Regardless, landing a developmental quarterback with reasonable upside is a worthwhile dart throw, considering how important the quarterback position is in the NFL.
Step 3: Steelers need to practice patience, wait for the moment to pounce
After finding a stop-gap starter who can lead the team and throwing a dart on a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, the next step is guaranteed to be painful. The Pittsburgh Steelers need to practice patience... and lots of it.
Following Ben Roethlisberger's retirement after the 2021 season, Mike Tomlin and former general manager Kevin Colbert were quick to hitch their wagon to a quarterback in the 2022 draft despite an utter lack of talent. There were chances to be proactive at the position, but that ship had sailed and the Steelers wanted a quick fix.
That obviously didn't work. Pickett had too many red flags and didn't have a skill set worth gambling on with first-round draft capital. This proved to be a disastrous selection that hauled the process of finding a legitimate franchise QB. They can't make that mistake again.
While I'm fine with throwing darts on mid-round quarterbacks with traits, the Steelers need to be selective and downright picky when taking a swing on a potential franchise QB. Don't take the first player who comes to you and don't stand pat.
In order to get this right, the Steelers must be willing to trade up in the NFL Draft. Remember, the two greatest quarterbacks in Steelers history—Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger—were selected at pick 1 and pick 11, respectively. Pittsburgh can't expect to find the face of their franchise when constantly picking in the 20s.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh can't be willing to move up for any old quarterback; it needs to be a prospect with tools, potential, and promise. Don't settle for the Tua Tagovailoas of the world when you have quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow leading a powerhouse group of signal-callers in the AFC.
Unfortunately, the next great quarterback for Pittsburgh may not even be in the 2026 draft class. And if that eventually looks to be the case, the Steelers should hold off for another year before mortgaging their future.
We have seen NFL teams go decades without a competent quarterback who proved capable of leading their team long-term. The Pittsburgh Steelers can't afford to do that. If Mike Tomlin and the front office are willing to follow this three-step process, they will eventually solve their quarterback conundrum.