The news ahead of Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers regarding the quarterback position in Pittsburgh wasn’t all that surprising. After a strong four-game stretch late in the season, Mason Rudolph is interested in a fresh start elsewhere in free agency while Ryan Tannehill is quickly coming into focus for the Steelers.
For Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo, the Steelers signing Tannehill in free agency and reuniting him with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in the Steel City as a backup to Kenny Pickett is a “no-brainer.”
Appearing on the P-G’s “North Shore Drive” podcast with host Christopher Carter, Fittipaldo stated that signing Tannehill would be good for Pickett to have that veteran experience in the system behind him while changing up the quarterback room a bit.
“I think Tannehill is a no-brainer. He knows Smith’s offense. I think he could be a good mentor for Kenny Pickett. You know, having somebody who not only knows Arthur, but knows what’s going on within that offense, he can kind of be a buffer between Smith and Kenny,” Fittipaldo said, according to video via the Post-Gazette on YouTube. “So, I know that’s been speculated upon. We’ll see if that’s attractive to Tannehill, but to me there’s not a whole lot of other options out there that are attractive.”
If the Steelers lose Rudolph in free agency despite stating their desire to do business with him again, there aren’t many comforting options in free agency in the price range they can afford. They aren’t chasing Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield. They’ll find themselves in the market for the likes of Tannehill, Gardner Minshew II, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold and more.
Those aren’t needle-moving pieces, so a reunion of Tannehill and Smith appears to be the best path forward for the Steelers should Rudolph depart in free agency.
During their time together in Tennessee, Tannehill and Smith had great success. Tannehill threw 55 touchdowns in the 2019 and 2020 seasons combined with Smith as offensive coordinator, leading to some historic offensive outputs for the Titans in those two seasons.
Since Smith left to take the Atlanta Falcons’ job ahead of the 2021 season though, Tannehill hasn’t achieved those high marks. He then lost his job to rookie Will Levis this season, and will become an unrestricted free agent when he contract voids this offseason.
Therefore, he’s a viable option in Pittsburgh.
“If you’re gonna go in the direction where you wanna get somebody who’s played in that offense, get somebody that Smith is comfortable with as a backup, then I think obviously Tannehill would be the choice here,” Fittipaldo said. “So, nobody else but Tannehill in free agency. That would be my pick.”
Seems like a rather reasonable take. Based on all the options on the open market in free agency in the price range the Steelers can afford, he’s the logical option to come in behind Pickett, help him get up to speed in a new system, and provide a security blanket for Smith and the Steelers for at least the 2024 season.
