With less than a week to go until the legal tampering period begins and a little over a week until the new league year and the start of free agency, the numerous rumors connecting various quarterbacks to the Pittsburgh Steelers are reaching overdrive. There have been reports that the Steelers are out on the big names like Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and Kirk Cousins while others claim they are “absolutely looking” at quarterback options. The latest to chime in on the subject is Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday.
“Last week in Indianapolis, one of the things I picked up from talking to people, this isn’t some bit by the Steelers and this fits with how they are,” Florio said in a clip of the segment posted by Pat McAfee on X. “They don’t go out and make a big splash in free agency. They try to groom the guys they have.”
He is, of course, referring to the only quarterback currently on the roster, Kenny Pickett. He was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has had a rocky start to his career, being benched in favor of the hot hand of Mason Rudolph at the end of the 2023 season.
“So here they are, less than two years removed from using a first-round pick on Kenny Pickett. They like what Mason Rudolph did,” Florio said. “I think they’re committed to Pickett versus Rudolph, and one of those two guys is gonna be the starter Week 1…and that’s why I don’t think Russ goes there ’cause he’s gonna wanna go somewhere where they roll out the red carpet.”
This is very much in line with what team leadership has been stating all along and shouldn’t surprise anybody if it is in fact the route the Steelers take. Art Rooney II said Pickett has proved himself to be a winner; Mike Tomlin said the starting quarterback for 2024 is already on the roster; and Omar Khan said he has full faith in Pickett.
Further, new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith reportedly had a meeting with Pickett in Florida and the discussions were “great.”
Rudolph being included in that conversation is more debatable as he is a pending unrestricted free agent and will be free to negotiate with whomever he pleases. The Steelers have said they want him back, but that feeling has to be mutual. If he signs elsewhere, then the Steelers are likely to add competition to the room in the form of a veteran free agent. From the sounds of it, that won’t be a big splashy name but someone like Ryan Tannehill or Marcus Mariota. Both have experience in Smith’s offensive system.
As for Wilson, Florio makes an astute point that he is not going to want to go anywhere where there is a possible quarterback controversy. Many think he will sign for the veteran minimum due to the Denver Broncos still picking up the rest of the tab, but the veteran minimum also shows little commitment on the part of the signing team. So, in the event Wilson struggles, it would be a very easy decision to turn back to Pickett or whomever else with no financial ramifications.
Fortunately, we will all be able to put this debate to rest in a week’s time as free agency will make the picture a whole lot clearer.
