The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback state of affairs has been a warm theme this offseason. To be fair, the team felt assured they had a franchise man in Kenny Pickett until Mason Rudolph showed up the ultimate three games of the 2023 normal season and blew Pickett’s stats out of the water. Now this leaves the group figuring out what to do with Rudolph. Will they try to keep him and will he prefer to stay? On top of that, how tons will that cost?
Local media has been in a frenzy writing about all of the variables regarding Pickett and Rudolph, but none have been as busy as Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Dulac’s very popular weekly “chat column” is chock full of questions about whether or not Pickett need to start, keeping/paying Rudolph, and viable free agent signings.
Steelers’ Likely Options For Life After Mason Rudolph
Dulac has been adamant that he believes the group plans to stand by Pickett and enable him this 1/3 year. It is real looking to aspect in the reality that Pickett’s improvement would possibly have been hindered via the organization maintaining former Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada a long way too long. On pinnacle of that, many quarterbacks take a few years to adjust to the NFL.
In his most current column, Dulac doubled down on Pickett being “him” in 2024 announcing that “it’s his job to lose.” But losing it is virtually a possibility. He lost it at the give up of the 2023 season when Head Coach Mike Tomlin selected no longer to play a healthy Pickett in favor of the third-string quarterback that was once prevailing games. Dulac has additionally stated that he believes the crew will strive to keep Rudolph, but not at the fee of a bidding fighting with different teams. But what takes place if that isn’t possible? What route will the team take? A fan wrote in to ask if the crew would consider Gardner Minshew. “You know, he wouldn’t be a horrific No. 2 if Rudolph goes elsewhere,” wrote Dulac. Minshew, who is with the Indianapolis Colts, is hardly the only identify getting thrown around. The Steelers have been linked to a ton of veteran quarterbacks such as Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, and Ryan Tannehill. The participant that has been brought up the most, however, is Justin Fields. Dulac stated that he does now not believe that Fields is inclined to go anywhere as a second-string guy. He is going to be searching for a job as a assured starter, and Pittsburgh is now not looking for a starter. On top of all of that, Fields has said he needs to continue to be with the Chicago Bears.
Another fan wrote in and asked Dulac if Rudolph does move on from the Steelers, does he anticipate the company to just go after a low-priced veteran quarterback and hope they discover a diamond in the tough in the draft?
“That is the likely scenario. I assume they will try to sign, a Mitch Trubisky-type, whether that’s Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota, Drew Lock, possibly even Gardner Minshew. It will be any person who understands and accepts they are No. 2 And then I think they draft a QB round the fifth or sixth round. If Mason stays, then maybe they sign a low-level free agent QB to be No. three Maybe.”
Well, it will have to be very a great deal “around” the fifth round when you consider that the Steelers do no longer have a fifth-round pick in 2024. They do, however, have two back-to-back fourth-round picks, 119 and one hundred twenty That fifth-round pick went to the Los Angeles Rams alongside with Kevin Dotson.
The names that are being linked to the Steelers make sense to some degree. For example, Tannehill performed for the Steelers’ new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith, when they had been each with the Tennessee Titans. Minshew startled the league when he carried out well sufficient while playing for an injured Anthony Richardson that he used to be chosen to a Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. Cousins, who is coming off an damage would possibly be looking to prolong his career.
It seems that we will no longer have any actual answers till action is taken regarding Rudolph. The free enterprise window will be opening soon and you can guess his agent will be speakme him up to every teach and GM in the league. It is not every day that a player, who used to be as soon as regarded mediocre, saves a season the way Rudolph did.
