The quarterback position is the hot-button topic of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason. We know Kenny Pickett, barring some unforeseen and horrible issues, will be in training camp as the incumbent starter. The picture is far murkier from there as he is technically the only quarterback under contract, with Mitchell Trubisky released and Mason Rudolph a free agent. Many QBs have been speculated to the Steelers so far. Here’s the latest name: Joe Flacco. Allow me to explain.
There is the report from Gerry Dulac about the division in the organization on Pickett and Rudolph. Some back Pickett and still view him as the long-term answer at quarterback. Others look at Rudolph’s performance at the end of the 2023 season and view him as superior. That’s a problem that the organization needs to come together on going forward. Whether that’s through a true competition or you don’t bring Rudolph back, it doesn’t matter. The team has to be unified behind one quarterback to even have a shot at success.
However, there was another note of interest in Dulac’s report, and that’s the fact that the Steelers are reportedly not interested in bringing a quarterback in who expects to be starting over Pickett. Dulac takes that to mean no Kirk Cousins, no Russell Wilson, and no Justin Fields. Who does that leave? Well, Zach Gelb of CBS Sports Radio has a name that he brought up on Monday’s episode of the Zach Gelb Show, and it’s one that is very familiar to Steelers fans.
“You know who the name is that could replace Mason Rudolph to compete with Kenny Pickett?” Gelb said. “And now watch, this guy is going to be floating around all the AFC North teams. It could actually be Joe Flacco.”
That name is certainly unexpected. After all, Flacco played for the hated Baltimore Ravens for 11 seasons and even won Super Bowl XLVII and was named MVP of the title game. That’s a ton of animosity there. Then there’s 2023. Flacco signed with the Cleveland Browns and went 4-1 in five starts, helping lead the Browns to a playoff berth. That’s a lot to hate from a Steelers fan’s perspective.
However, it also makes a degree of sense. Flacco has plenty of experience, but Gelb thinks that Flacco isn’t likely to expect a starting spot in 2024.
“So for Joe Flacco, who probably won’t be guaranteed a starting quarterback position anywhere in the league this year, if you’re Joe, wouldn’t you go to Pittsburgh?” Gelb said. “You’re probably right now a better quarterback than Kenny Pickett, even with the age difference. And you just bank that Kenny will be the starter for day one, and ultimately he will fail, he will struggle. They’ll [the Steelers] be like slightly below .500, and then the last month, month and a half of the season, the fans of Pittsburgh won’t be waving their Terrible Towels anymore in support of Kenny Pickett. They’ll want someone else. And then you’ll have another opportunity in back-to-back years to save a team in the AFC North and lead them to the playoffs.”
So, if Pittsburgh doesn’t want to bring in a veteran quarterback who truly expects to be the starter instead of “competing” with Kenny Pickett, then a veteran like Joe Flacco makes sense. He’s been around the league, he’s had success, and he’s proven that he can be ready to step in if needed.
There’s just the elephant in the room: Can a successful Ravens player come to Pittsburgh and be accepted by the Steelers? If the organization believes that Flacco can competently fill that role, then that’s not a problem. But can the fans accept Flacco? That could be a completely different story.
