The Matthew Stafford saga is finally over. Although it didn’t last very long, it felt like forever. Stafford is staying with the Los Angeles Rams, and the Pittsburgh Steelers must turn their attention elsewhere at quarterback. However, CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones revealed that the Steelers weren’t in the Stafford sweepstakes for long.
“The teams that inquired with the L.A. Rams included, but may not have been limited to, the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Giants, the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Jones said Friday on CBS Sports HQ. “The Steelers realized pretty early, I believe, that they weren’t going to be in the market for him, ultimately.”
There were reports that the Steelers were interested in the Stafford, but according to Jones, it doesn’t sound like things got very far. There might be a few factors that influenced that.
For starters, Stafford’s issue with the Rams was about his contract. He wanted to make more money, reportedly around $50 million a year. That’s probably out of the Steelers’ price range. While they might have been able to make that work, they might not have felt comfortable giving a 37-year-old quarterback that kind of money.
Also, the Steelers likely would’ve had to part with significant draft capital to acquire Stafford. It’s unclear what exactly the Rams’ asking price was, but it probably wasn’t cheap. While quarterback is a major need for them, the Steelers have other holes on their roster too.
The Steelers’ decision makers have also made it clear they want to re-sign Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. Art Rooney II and Omar Khan have expressed that. It makes sense for them to have checked in on Stafford, but they probably weren’t willing to break the bank for him. It feels like the Steelers want some continuity at quarterback.
Stafford probably would’ve elevated the Steelers’ offense. However, there were a lot of moving parts involved in acquiring him. It was much easier said than done. The Steelers poked around the situation, but things didn’t work out. Now, it seems even more likely that they’ll bring back Wilson or Fields. Nothing is guaranteed, though. There are still other veteran options available.
