With questions at quarterback, wide receiver, defensive line and cornerback, and the potential to lose some familiar faces this offseason in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a busy, possibly monumental offseason ahead of them.
Knowing that, Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager believes they are the team with the “most intrigue” this offseason regarding their roster and what needs to be done.
Appearing on NFL Network’s GMFB Monday morning, Schrager highlighted the Steelers and talked about them being a “good team, not a great team” which has been their story for the last decade or so.
“The team that I’m looking at is a team that seems to get to the playoffs every year and has a giant question mark at quarterback. That’s the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Schrager said, according to video via GMFB. “The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to jettison Kenny Pickett last year and said, ‘Okay, we’re gonna cut bait on a 20th overall pick and we’re gonna go with a Justin Fields-Russell Wilson duo.’ Well, it was great to start off, they were at 10-3, and then the season hit the skids. And what happened in the end? Well, it was the same Steelers that we have seen every time they’ve been in the playoffs since 2017. It ended with a loss. And now you don’t have a quarterback under contract going into Combine week. That includes Justin Fields, that includes Russell Wilson. And, of course, Kenny Pickett is over in Philly now.
“So I look at this Steelers team, what are you? Are you a team in transition? Are you in rebuild mode or are you a team that has T.J. Watt on one side, Alex Highsmith on another side, and the ability to say, ‘Are we the team that’s gonna go and get Matthew Stafford? Are we the team that’s gonna get Aaron Rodgers?'”
Getting to the playoffs recently hasn’t been an issue for the Steelers under head coach Mike Tomlin. As is well known, the Steelers find a way to win 10 games a year and get into the playoffs. But once they’re there, they can’t get over the hump, and a large part of that is due to not having the QB who can elevate the offense.
Of course, the star-studded defense coming up small in the postseason plays a major part, too, but the focus is on the quarterback position because the Steelers haven’t found an answer there since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
Now, they find themselves in another situation this offseason similar to where they’ve been recently: good enough to get into the playoffs, getting by with subpar quarterback play, and now looking at the position once again, which has led to them being connected to likes of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, and more at the quarterback position this offseason, not to mention the likes of Wilson and Fields to possibly run it back another year or two.
“There are so many viable veteran options out there. They did this dance last year. They decided on Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. But with the 21st overall pick and what I would say is an underwhelming quarterback class, I would think they’re gonna go veteran again,” Schrager added regarding the Steelers’ QB situation. “Or do they bring back Fields…or do they bring back Russ?
“Steelers are fascinating. A good team, not a great team, but that’s been their story for nearly a decade in Pittsburgh.”
It has been the story for nearly a decade, and entering another offseason with a major question at quarterback is not a fun place to be. GM Omar Khan has done a nice job building the roster elsewhere but now in the offseason ahead of the 2025 season, the quarterback position needs to be solved — and quickly — in a major way.
