The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to solidify their receiving corps with the blockbuster trade for DK Metcalf on Sunday evening, but who is going to be throwing them the ball? Pressure is now on the Steelers to maximize this suddenly intriguing offensive roster, and there are a handful of options to consider at the moment. If they really want to make a splash, they could aim for the top free agent QB on the market in Minnesota Vikings pending free agent Sam Darnold.
Dan Orlovsky thinks Darnold is the Steelers’ best option after the Metcalf trade. Mike Greenberg, the host of ESPN’s Get Up, listed the usual suspects this morning. Justin Fields? Russell Wilson? Aaron Rodgers?
“None of ’em, it would be Sam Darnold,” Orlovsky said via Get Up. “If I was Sam Darnold, who’s going into free agency, that would be the team that I want to go to. My number one question if I was Sam would be, are you keeping George Pickens? Is that going to be a dead-set lock? Because the addition [of] DK Metcalf, while George is tremendously talented, it brings the question for me as a quarterback, are you gonna have em both? If they do, if I was Sam Darnold, I would wanna go there over Seattle right now.”
It isn’t a given that the Steelers manage to keep Pickens around with Metcalf in Pittsburgh. Entering the final year of his rookie contract, this would be the offseason to extend Pickens if that were in the plans. But will Pickens see the final year of his rookie deal through, or will he seek a trade to a team that might pay him? The Steelers are likely entering a situation with him where, if he stays, they would have to look at using the franchise tag if all goes well in 2025.
Regardless, the top priority is making sure they have a quarterback to throw them the ball.
“Here’s the reality with Pittsburgh, they gotta be urgent with this decision at quarterback. They cannot sit and wait. You are chasing guys in your division at that position that are absolutely remarkable,” Orlovsky said. “I think the Steelers gotta be aggressive and urgent with this quarterback decision.”
With the legal tampering period opening in just a few hours at noon ET, the quarterback market might start moving rather quickly. It will be a game of musical chairs, and the Steelers can’t be caught without a quarterback.
If it is Darnold, the Steelers would make him the highest-paid player in franchise history. Former NFL agent Joel Corry put together a contract package projection for Darnold via CBS Sports and has it at three years, $127.5 million ($42.5 per season) with an incentive package that could make it $135 million.
According to Dianna Russini, the Steelers are expected to make an offer for Darnold. Are they willing to pay the price, or are they just putting in an under-market offer in case he decides he values a competitive team over making top dollar?
It would be a huge risk for the Steelers, but you have to credit them for making moves to get out of the competitive purgatory they’ve been in for years.
