The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex earlier than they had anticipated, having been ousted from the postseason in the opening round, which unfortunately marks a slight improvement from the past two seasons, during which they did not even qualify for the playoffs altogether. They have now done four seasons without securing a victory beyond regular season play.
Yet again, they find themselves undergoing the exit meeting process earlier than anticipated, which means so are we.
They did manage to go 12-4 during the regular season, and secured their first AFC North title since 2017, posting a new franchise record by opening the season with 11 consecutive wins, but of course it all fell apart after that. Their only victory after that required a 17-point comeback.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2020 season.
Player: Devlin Hodges
Position: QB
Experience: 1 Year
A former undrafted free agent out of Samford, the short-stature quarterback with the big personality had an eventful two-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Originally a rookie minicamp invitee, he won a spot on the 90-man roster over Brogan Roback, then proceeded to impress coaches throughout the offseason program.
While he did not make the team initially, they saw enough in him that he was in their rolodex, and when the Jacksonville Jaguars offered them a fifth-round pick for Joshua Dobbs, they traded him and brought back Hodges to be the number three quarterback.
Of course, he would eventually become the number two—and then the number one. He started six games in 2019, playing in eight, and though he had some mixed performances to say the least, his showing was notable as a rookie.
Hodges made the initial 53-man roster this past season as the number three behind Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph, but after the Jaguars released Dobbs, they brought him back, and shifted Duck to the practice squad, where he remained all season, quite quietly.
Whether by choice or because he was not offered a Reserve/Future contract, though, Hodges now finds himself a member of the Los Angeles Rams organization. He will compete to serve behind the newly-acquired Matthew Stafford at quarterback.
Meanwhile, the Steelers added former first-round Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins to a Reserve/Future contract instead. Barring changes, he figures to serve as the number three quarterback in 2021, though they could still decide to bring back Dobbs to push him—or even draft a quarterback. This is certainly a fluid situation.
