After not addressing the position through free agency or the draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers hit the undrafted free agent market to bring in their third-string quarterback in former University of Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan. Speaking with reporters after rookie minicamp practice today, Morgan talked about what he’s looking to get out of minicamp.
“My mindset is just to be an asset any way I can, be a positive contributor each and every day and do my best every day,” Morgan said via video posted to Twiter by Chris Adamski of TribLive. “I think it’s a great quarterback room and I’m excited to be able to learn from those guys and learn from Coach (Mike) Sullivan as well.”
Morgan had a decorated college career, posting a 33-14 record as a starter. Over five seasons at Minnesota, he threw for 9,454 yards and 65 touchdowns. He earned an invite to the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl, where he was 3-for-7 for 33 yards and an interception in a game that was dominated by the defense.
It’s pretty much a disaster scenario for almost every team if they get down to their third-string quarterback. While Morgan, if he sticks as the third guy, might not be the most exciting option, he’s an older rookie at 24 years with a lot of college experience and who has won at the collegiate level.
I still think it’s better if the Steelers target a veteran for that third quarterback spot, but with significant money already committed to QB2 Mitch Trubisky, it may just be a byproduct of not wanting to invest more than necessary into a guy you realistically hope never sees the field. A developmental option like Morgan would make some measure of sense in that case, but it wouldn’t provide a lot of confidence if either Pickett or Trubisky went down and all of a sudden the Steelers are one play away from getting significant snaps out of Morgan.
But he seems to have the right attitude about things, soaking in everything he can from Pickett and Trubisky while taking things day by day. He’s also a good person, which matters in Pittsburgh, as he was a back-to-back nominee for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of The Year Award in 2021 and 2022. He helped take the Minnesota program to the next level and holds a number of school records and he’ seems like an easy person to root for. While I’m bearish on him being the best option as the team’s QB3, time will tell throughout the rest of minicamp and training camp later this summer.
