Welcome back to your Pittsburgh Steelers mailbag. As always, we’re here for the next hour to answer whatever is on your mind.
To your questions!
BananasFoster:
Alex- what a tumultuous week. Steelers getting ripped by Ben, Merrill. Hoke. And talk of ridiculous Tomlin trade rumors (will never happen). But I cant remember a stretch like we’re going through now. Maybe with the Killer B’s and their drama or the mid-80’s. But I go back 40 years and nothing like this. Although no social media back then. But if they lose out, or lose 3 of next 4, what do you think happens. I dont see Tomlin getting fired, but they MUST bring in a real, legit OC from the outside. Going with Faulk or Sully seems the wrong path. And if Art steps in and says, Mike- you need to hire someone from the outside and some of his powers get stripped then maybe Mike does move on. But we’re at a crossroads here What do you make of it all and what do you think happens if they lose our or 3 of four?
Alex: I’m confident Mike Tomlin will be the head coach of this team in 2024. It’ll be a big year for him but he’s going to be back. They’re not going to bring this thing down to the studs (even if some would argue they should). It’s been a rough couple of weeks but stuff has happened before. They’ve had collapses, bad stretches, tough years.
In terms of what happens, we’ll see. It’s hard to predict those things right now. But again, I expect Tomlin to be back next year.
Reader783:
Heyy Alex – Where are you on Pickett? I still am not convinced he’s a bust yet. He’s got 1.4 games not under Canada under his belt and he actually looked kinda good in those 1.4 games.
Do we draft a mid-round project to compete? Do we bring in a veteran who is not Mitch? I keep hearing Fields floated, but I’m not sold on him improving much. And if we keep going 9-8 every season, what hope do we realistically have to get the next franchise guy?
Alex: Not seeing anything that says he’s the guy of the future. We can discuss the external factors weighing him down, and some of that is valid, but end of the day, either you’re seeing him as the guy or you’re not. Right now, I’m not. Unfortunate about the injury. Wanted to see more of him post-Canada-firing. That’s partly why they made it. Then Pickett goes down in the 1st half 1.5 games in.
I think they’ll ride with Pickett for next year. Put him with a new OC, see how it looks, make the call from there. Don’t see Fields being the guy, though they did seem to like him coming out of the draft.
Understood on the issue of being average but not so good you compete or so bad you get a top pick. We call that QB purgatory. And that was my issue with Pickett coming out.
Benjamin Schell: i Alex, what do you think is the bigger need in terms of improving the offense in the upcoming off-season? Center, Tackle, or WR?
Alex: I don’t know if I have a specific ranking. Sometimes you go into with your list of needs and then find the best/most logical talent and address. I don’t know if you go down line-by-line to build out your roster. But the Steelers win when they have great centers. They don’t when they’re without one. So it’s a good starting point for the literal middle of this offense.
Pcw: i Alex, how do you think Tomlin has handled the lack of effort and poutyness from Johnson and Pickens. I feel that they both have deserved a benching during this season. For Johnson to say we underestimated the Pat’s only a week or so following 1 of the worst displays of effort I’ve ever witnessed from a Steeler just shows he is not getting it.
Alex: It’s hard to say what was done internally. I’m not surprised that’s where he handled it. I imagine they were on “the news,” Tomlin putting their play up in front of the whole team to see. I really don’t think they underestimated the Pats. I think he’s just talking. No one else has hinted as much. I think they just played lousy.
Craig M:
What I can’t understand is why MR is persona non grata. He tested out fine in camp yet he doesn’t get to see the field during this tumultuous season?
You’re in battle, both your weapons are prone to misfire; so why keep bouncing back and forth when you have another weapon within reach?
Alex: In fairness, Pickett has missed one full game. And that came on a short week when of course Trubisky was going to start. I would like to see Rudolph start over Trubisky this week but they’re paying Trubisky a bunch more money and he’s been the No. 2 all year. I’m not surprised by what they’re doing.
