Should the Steelers stockpile future draft picks and play the long game?
The Pittsburgh Steelers need an answer at quarterback, but the options available to them are rife with question marks. The broad consensus is that this is not a strong quarterback draft class, nor a deep one. We can be reasonably certain they can’t afford to trade into the top two or three spots to take one of the top names — nor should they want to, one could argue.
So what are the Steelers and other quarterback-needy teams to do? It’s not like the Steelers, but should they punt? If they know that they can’t land a franchise quarterback now — because there isn’t one available — why not be proactive? Why not give yourself a better chance in future years of being in position to get one?
This brings me to something the Ravens once talked about. It’s not a plan they ever put into action, but they have weighed the idea of trading for future picks over a period of years. Generally, trading for a future pick, you earn one round greater value. In theory, if you do that seven times, you turn a seventh-round pick into a first-round pick. Of course, the Steelers can’t wait seven years to find another franchise quarterback.
Then again, the Steelers might not have a choice. You don’t just decide to add a franchise quarterback. A lot of it comes down to luck. Even with the Bengals, they were horrible at the right time to land Joe Burrow. If they were horrible in another year, they might have had Mitch Trubisky.
The thing is, it’s hard to stockpile resources for the future while competing in the present. The Steelers always want to compete, and Russell Wilson or Justin Fields could win them nine games again. But what would they even do? Would they start selling off resources — trade a Minkah Fitzpatrick? Obviously, we have talked about George Pickens, who they might consider trading anyway. And any additional resource could potentially help them trade up in a future draft for a better quarterback.
The Steelers’ 2024 season has come to its predictably inauspicious end, with yet another one-and-done postseason for HC Mike Tomlin. The offense faltered and the defense matched it blow for blow, leading to a loss to the Ravens in the Wild Card round.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. Do they still believe in Russell Wilson, and/or Justin Fields, or do they want another solution? There are other major decisions to make, as well, such as what to do with George Pickens. Do you sign him to an extension, try to trade him, or let him play out his rookie contract?
The Steelers started the 2024 season 10-3, with Mike Tomlin in the Coach of the Year conversation. Wash, rinse, repeat, and we have another late-season collapse. This may be the worst yet, a four-game losing streak presaging a one-and-done playoff “run.” Welcome to Steelers football.
