For another offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers finding themselves with no clear future at quarterback. Although it seems like they’ll re-sign Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, they could end up going with a new option. Matthew Stafford might be the best possible candidate. He isn’t on the move yet, but it seems like the Los Angeles Rams could move him under the right circumstances. NFL insider Albert Breer believes it’s a possibility, comparing the Steelers’ potential acquisition of Stafford to when they signed Tommy Maddox.
“The one thing they’re missing, the one thing they have been missing, is a quarterback,” Breer said recently on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel. “Going and getting Matthew Stafford would make some sense to me. It would feel a little bit like, if you want to go back a generation, when they brought in Tommy Maddox to try to get themselves up to a contending level.
“Of course, Stafford is much better than Maddox, but you remember them doing that after they felt like they couldn’t go forward with Kordell Stewart a generation ago. They make some sense.”
While many fans might only remember Maddox as the guy Ben Roethlisberger replaced, he did have his moments with the Steelers.
Selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1992 draft, Maddox’s career started out poorly. He sat behind John Elway for two years before being traded to the Rams. Things weren’t much better for him there. He got cut after the season ended, and a few years later, he found himself out of the NFL.
In 2000, Maddox returned to football, joining the Arena Football League. That led to him joining the XFL in 2001, where he was named the league’s MVP. He parlayed that season into a contract with the Steelers during that same year.
A few weeks into the 2002 season, Maddox replaced Stewart as the Steelers’ starter. Although his stats weren’t amazing, he helped lead the Steelers to the playoffs, even winning a postseason game in an exciting comeback. He looked like a quality veteran signing.
Unfortunately, things quickly went south for Maddox in Pittsburgh. He wasn’t quite as good in 2003, and the following year, the Steelers drafted Roethlisberger. Maddox began the 2004 season as the starter, but he suffered an injury in Week 2. He was replaced by Roethlisberger, and the rest is history.
Is that what’s in store for the Steelers if they trade for Stafford? Probably not, but it’s tough to say for certain. Stafford has certainly been vastly superior to Maddox, although age and injuries could hurt him. He just turned 37, so he probably only has a few years left as a high-level starter. The Steelers are probably more likely to contend for a championship with him compared to their other quarterback options.
While Stafford could help the Steelers be more competitive for a year or two, like Maddox did, they’ll need to find their next Roethlisberger eventually. Trading for Stafford wouldn’t be the worst move they could make this offseason. Hopefully, if they do acquire him, he’ll be more productive for longer than Maddox was.
