The quarterback conversation surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, that much is certain.
Whether it’s rumors of Kirk Cousins eyeing the Steelers, or Pittsburgh being an ideal landing spot for Justin Fields via trade, or even Russell Wilson chasing another Super Bowl, the Steelers are going to be at the center of the quarterback talks all offseason long, so long as they continue to push Kenny Pickett as QB1 and sound the table for Mason Rudolph to return in 2024 and compete for the starting job.
Pittsburgh finds itself at the center of the conversation once again on Monday, thanks to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin.
In a piece for CBSSports.com, Benjamin highlighted the top 10 free agent quarterbacks ahead of the offseason, ranking them No. 10-1, providing best fits and projected deals for the quarterbacks. In the rankings, the Steelers were tabbed as part of “best fits” for the likes of Gardner Minshew and Ryan Tannehill.
Minshew came in at No. 4 in the rankings from Benjamin, and is projected to land a deal averaging $7-10 million this offseason. Pro Football Focus projects Minshew to receive a two-year, $17.5 million deal in free agency with $9 million guaranteed.
“The former Jacksonville Jaguars fan favorite perfectly straddles the line between starter and backup, never quite settling in as an efficient, accurate game manager while also never losing the spirited poise that wins over teammates and produces some timely big plays,” Benjamin writes regarding Minshew. “Five years in, it’s relatively clear he’s better suited as a Plan B under center, but after scrappy playoff-caliber stretches with both the Jags and Indianapolis Colts, you could do much worse.”
At just 28 years old, Minshew has had quite the career to date. Going from a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to a guy that has played in 49 career games with 37 starts under center, he’s carved out a role in the NFL. He’s had some success, too, going 15-22 in his career, including a 7-6 mark last season with the Colts.
In his five seasons in the NFL, Minshew has thrown for 9,937 yards, 59 touchdowns and 24 interceptions, adding another 621 yards and five touchdowns rushing on 146 attempts. He even went to the Pro Bowl this past season after starting 13 games for the Colts, keeping Indianapolis in playoff contention late into the season.
As Benjamin writes though, he straddles the line of starter and backup, never truly establishing himself one way or another.
If the Steelers want to bring in true competition for Kenny Pickett, Minshew would be a guy to do that with. Aside from the Steelers being a fit for Minshew in Benjamin’s eyes, the Colts, Raiders and Vikings were all listed as landing spots for the veteran quarterback.
Then, there is Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill checked in at No. 3 in the free agent QB rankings from Benjamin, just behind Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins. Tannehill, 36, is a popular name being connected to the Steelers this offseason due to his past success with Steelers’ new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in 2019 and 2020.
Entering his 13th season in the NFL, Tannehill is at the tail-end of his career, which could make him an ideal backup in the Steel City behind Pickett, helping him learn and grow in Smith’s offensive scheme. He should be relatively affordable, too.
Pro Football Focus projects Tannehill to receive a two-year, $11 million deal with $10 million guaranteed.
“Once the darling face of the scrappy Tennessee Titans, Tannehill has managed just 20 ugly starts since 2022, battling injuries and turnover sprees behind a crumbling O-line,” Benjamin writes regarding Tannehill. “Before that, he resembled prime Jimmy Garoppolo with the San Francisco 49ers: solid enough as a play-action game manager to lead playoff runs, but more dependent on his supporting cast than most. A few clubs could still try to squeeze what QB1 potential he has left, but he’s probably best suited as a high-level fallback plan.”
That about sums up Tannehill perfectly.
When the Titans were rolling with Smith as offensive coordinator, Tannehill thrived in the play-action heavy scheme, leaning on a dominant run game with Derrick Henry and throwing to a physical receiver in A.J. Brown and tight ends Delanie Walker and Jonnu Smith. 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. Since Smith departed, Tannehill has started 39 games, including 20 in the last two seasons combined. He’s compiled a record of 21-16 in that span, throwing for 38 touchdowns and 27 interceptions, falling off a bit.
He has struggled to stay healthy, too, which isn’t a surprise considering his age and playing behind an unstable offensive line in Tennessee the last few seasons.
That could happen again in Pittsburgh, though the Steelers are focused on rebuilding in the trenches.
But with Smith in Pittsburgh and there being a clear need for an addition at the QB position, especially if Rudolph leaves in free agency, the Steelers could be a great landing spot for Tannehill.
