Many members of the national media are pointing to Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, or Kirk Cousins as splashier acquisitions the Pittsburgh Steelers should make this offseason at quarterback. Don’t be surprised if the name they bring in lacks that splash when it’s all said and done. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac joined The Rich Eisen Show on Monday afternoon and discussed one name that may be a better fit—Ryan Tannehill.
“Maybe [Ryan] Tannehill would be a guy that if they do stick with Pickett, that’s the guy that they bring in for the quarterback room,” Eisen said.
“If Mason Rudolph leaves, he is the type of quarterback,” Dulac said. “A veteran with proven NFL starts, who they might bring in, even though he is 36 years old.”
The dot connecting is almost too easy with Tannehill, as he had the best seasons of his career under Arthur Smith with the Tennessee Titans. That was in 2019 and 2020, so it has been a few years, but Smith helped turn Tannehill from a middling quarterback down with the Miami Dolphins into a Pro Bowler.
His touchdown passes jumped from 19 and 17 in the two seasons prior with the Dolphins to 22 and 33 under Smith. Perhaps the most eye-popping stat from that jump was his adjusted net yards per passing attempt, which went from 5.29 in 2018 to 8.52 in 2019. That 5.29 ANY/A, by the way, is the same exact number that Pickett had in the 2023 season.
If you listen to what Mike Tomlin said in his end-of-season media session, the Steelers believe their 2024 starting quarterback is already on the roster. Team president Art Rooney II also said that the Steelers are unlikely to make a “blockbuster” move to bring in a quarterback.
Making such a large move would marry the Steelers to that acquisition as the starter, which conflicts with their desire to give Pickett one more chance. Like it or not, the Steelers are an organization that values stability and continuity. They spent a first-round pick on Pickett less than two years ago at this point and will almost certainly give him another chance, especially with the context of moving on from the only offensive coordinator he had ever played under in the NFL last season.
Tannehill would be an excellent choice as he has already been in the backup position behind Will Levis at points throughout the 2023 season. He also understands Smith’s offensive system and would be an excellent option to fill in if Pickett went down injured for those reasons.
