While the Pittsburgh Steelers selected OT Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, his season was limited to just one game due to injuries. The Steelers had already signed QB Russell Wilson and traded for QB Justin Fields, so the position wasn’t a need heading into the draft, but after a 10-7 finish and Wild Card Round loss that capped off a five-game losing streak, the quarterback position is officially a question mark in Pittsburgh. In Chris Trapasso’s redraft of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft for CBS Sports, the Steelers land their quarterback of the future at No. 20 overall with Michael Penix Jr.
Penix went eighth overall to the Atlanta Falcons, one of the more shocking draft picks as Atlanta had just signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year contract. However, Cousins struggled in his first season in Atlanta and Penix replaced him in Week 16, throwing for over 200 yards in each start with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Trapasso thinks Penix would make sense for the Steelers given their lack of quarterback plan.
“Without a clear plan right now at the quarterback position, the Steelers roll the dice on Penix Jr., who flashed when he was inserted into the Falcons’ lineup late in the season.”
The Steelers selected C Zach Frazier in the second round last year, but in the redraft, Frazier went No. 26 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who used the selection on Duke C Graham Barton. Atlanta selected EDGE Chop Robinson at No. 8 overall instead of Penix in this scenario.
At the time, selecting a quarterback in the first round wouldn’t have made a ton of sense for the Steelers, but given the way things ended with Wilson and the general uncertainty over whether Fields can truly become a consistent starter in the league, having an option like Penix would’ve been nice. Penix looked pretty good when he started for the Falcons, and drafting him would’ve given the Steelers a clear-cut option going forward with both Wilson and Fields set to be free agents.
He only made three starts, so it’s hard to say that Penix is going to be a franchise quarterback, but given where he was drafted it does seem as if it’s the direction he’s headed. Obviously, the Steelers had no chance to actually select Penix so it’s not as if they missed out on him, but in an alternate reality, having a quarterback the team could comfortably rely on for 2025 and beyond is preferable to the situation they’re in right now.
