The Pittsburgh Steelers will use rookie minicamp this weekend to evaluate their entire roster. But notably, there is a vacancy at the fourth quarterback spot and GM Omar Khan isn’t ruling out the team adding another name to the roster. Speaking to 93.7 The Fan yesterday, Khan said the team will continue to evaluate its quarterback options.
“We’re always looking to upgrade when we can,” Khan told hosts Chris Mueller and Andrew Fillipponi. “So I would say that applies to every position. If there’s an opportunity to upgrade the depth, we’re gonna do it and improve the competition.”
Pittsburgh has just three quarterbacks under contract in Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Tanner Morgan. Pickett and Trubisky are locked into the top two spots — Khan praised Trubisky’s leadership throughout the interview — but everything else is open. Morgan is an undrafted free agent from Minnesota currently serving as the team’s #3 and getting his first taste of the NFL in rookie minicamp.
“If there’s an opportunity to add someone else to the room and have him compete, we will,” Khan added. “We’ll keep evaluating that as we are with every other position.”
Traditionally, Pittsburgh takes four quarterbacks to training camp. With five open roster spots on their 90-man roster, it wouldn’t be a shock for the team to add someone else before OTAs begin two weeks from now. There are two other quarterbacks participating this weekend in rookie Hunter Johnson and veteran Bryce Perkins. Johnson was a five-star recruit out of high school who had an underwhelming college career. He transferred between Clemson and Northwestern and threw only six passes last season.
Perkins has Sunday experience. Appearing in five games for the Los Angeles Rams last season, including one start, Perkins threw for 161 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Mobility is an asset and he ran for 90 yards, too. Over his final two collegiate seasons at Virginia, he recorded 20 rushing scores. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him become the team’s fourth arm and signed out of rookie minicamp. If so, he’ll certainly challenge Morgan for that #3 job on the 53-man roster and have the leg up given his mobility and NFL experience.
