With the official announcement that Ben Roethlisberger is retiring from football happening last month, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a position they have not had to deal with in 18 years: Finding a starting quarterback. A few scenarios could happen, but today we will rank the top three options that the Steelers organization could do.
Sometimes figuring out a quarterback situation is like playing at an online casino, so it will be interesting to see what Pittsburgh decides to do exactly.
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Dwayne Haskins / Mason Rudolph
Sticking with who is on the roster currently seems to be a likely move, but if they do that, it feels like a complete rebuild will happen for the Steelers.
Rudolph has appeared in 17 games and has a quarterback record of 5-4-1 with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. This will be his fourth season in the NFL, and as a third-round pick, he could be getting his time to shine.
However, this does not feel like the win-now mode that Pittsburgh is used to.
Haskins is another option and that could be in competition for the starting job, but was the third-string quarterback last season. Haskins only dressed one time for the Steelers and registered zero regular season snaps.
Haskins played in 16 games (13 starts) throughout his two seasons with Washington and went 3-10 with 12 passing touchdowns to 14 interceptions. He did not remain the starter for more than half the season, but it could be a realistic option with head coach Mike Tomlin trusting his quarterback room.
Drafting a Quarterback
The Steelers need to find a quarterback and could simply try to find the next starting quarterback through the 2022 NFL Draft. The only problem is that this is a weak draft class at the quarterback position.
One potential fit would be Pitt's Kenny Pickett if he is available to continue his career in the same city he played collegiate football. If not Pickett, there are guys like Matt Corral and Malik Willis.
Currently, the quarterbacks on the roster (Haskins and Rudolph) do not feel like NFL starting quarterbacks. Instead, the Steelers could trade one of them and a pick for an extra draft pick. It would also be helpful if the Steelers signed a veteran quarterback to help mentor a rookie if that's the option they choose.
It could signify a possible chance to grow a core with running back Najee Harris and have two young pieces to build around and allow them to grow together and achieve great things.
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Trade Picks for A Disgruntled Quarterback
The NFL has a few quarterbacks that could be looking for greener pastures, and who would not want to come to Pittsburgh and be a star?
Some veteran quarterbacks like Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers could come towards the twilight of their career and continue the winning ways of the Steelers. But the guy who I think should be starting under center comes with many question marks and has the potential to divide the fanbase.
Just because he missed a season of football, do not forget about Deshaun Watson and how incredible he is at playing the quarterback position. He was a rookie during the 2017 season and has been incredible, with three Pro Bowls in his first four seasons.
He also has a winning record and threw 104 touchdowns to 36 interceptions. Pittsburgh has had its fair share of controversial quarterbacks for off-the-field issues, but Watson's ability is difficult to argue against.
Having a coach like Tomlin helps guide Watson. It's easy to imagine the backfield of a 27-year-old Deshaun Watson and a 24-year-old Harris blossoming into one of the premier offenses in the league.
Pittsburgh has cap space and the draft picks to make it happen. So as long as Watson can be on the field in Week 1, I would jump at the opportunity to have a franchise-altering quarterback for the next 10-15 years on my team.
What do yinz think the team should do at quarterback? Click to comment below!
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