For the fourth-straight season since QB Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Pittsburgh Steelers are searching high and low for his replacement. Despite a revolving door of names brought in since 2022, the only thing that’s stuck is the franchise itself. Former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz called out the team to shake things up with a big move.
Taking to Twitter/X Monday, Schwartz said the Steelers have to find a way to acquire a rookie quarterback with a top draft pick. Either through trade or tank.
“At some point the Steelers either have to trade up for a QB or purposely attempt to get a high draft pick,” Schwartz tweeted. “They are just running on a hamster wheel with these quarterbacks”.
Schwartz responded to Art Rooney II’s comments indicating a “preference” of bringing back one of Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.
It’s a point well-taken. Wilson and Fields have their merits. Wilson temporarily elevated this offense to heights it hadn’t seen in years while Fields showed improvement from his Chicago Bears days. But neither have the feel of a future franchise quarterback able to compete with the AFC’s best.
The Steelers won’t dig out of the rut they’re in until they find a franchise quarterback. Not having a top draft pick makes that mission tougher but as we recently wrote, that can’t be an excuse considering teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Buffalo Bills found their future arms coming off winning seasons. That’s most likely going to require trading up for a prospect just as those three teams did for Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen.
Of course, there has to be a quarterback worth taking. The 2025 draft class is weak something even Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy admitted yesterday. But at some point, Pittsburgh will have to take that leap and target a first-round quarterback in the hopes of finding its true long-term starter who can break through the ceiling the franchise can’t currently clear.
