The Pittsburgh Steelers, in theory at least, do not have to worry about a starting quarterback for 2023. The fans of the team went through this angst last offseason after Ben Roethlisberger retired after 18 years. The team signed journeyman Mitch Trubisky and drafted rookie Kenny Pickett out of the University of Pittsburgh. Trubisky won the starting role during camp but was benched at half-time during the Week 4 game in favor of Pickett.
Matthew Sunday
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7)
Pickett had a rocky start, but ended up turning it around after the bye. The Steelers finished the season on an upswing and just missed making the playoffs. However, now a former Steelers player is trying to throw a spanner in the works with an outrageous suggestion.
That former player is Terrance Garvin, who was a linebacker for Pittsburgh. Garvin appeared on fellow teammate, Arthur Moats' podcast, called The Arthur Moats Experience. Garvin posed a wicked hypothetical to Moats and his co-host Deke.
"Can I ask a dangerous question to you? Just off the wall, let's say Kenny comes down with mono. The first couple of weeks go a little bit rough. It's boos all in the stadium [for Trubisky]. It's starting to look like the first pick is in your favor. Do you leave [Trubisky] in and go get the first pick? Because they say this next first pick is a program changer. This guy's gonna change people's programs. Tank for Caleb-type conversations are out there."
The program changer that Garvin is referring to is Caleb Williams, the quarterback at the University of Southern California. Williams is a rising junior and is widely considered to be the top prospect for the NFL Draft in 2024.
Williams is so talented that when the conversation came up surrounding the quarterbacks entering the 2023 draft - Bryce Young and CJ Stroud were considered the top two - many said the best college quarterback wasn't even eligible yet. Former NFL quarterback Jordan Palmer said this about Williams:
"He's off the charts. He's the next [Patrick] Mahomes."
It is hard to dispute the stats. In 2022, Williams attempted 500 passes, completing 333 of them for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. That gives him a passer rating of 168.5.
Would The Steelers Play "Never Have I Ever" And Tank For Caleb?
Immediately Deke pipes up and says absolutely not. He mentions that this came up last year prior to the draft when Trubisky was not performing well and Pickett had a rocky start when he entered. The Steelers were headed into the bye week at 2-6. Fans knew that both Young and Stroud were going to be early off the board in the draft. There were fans of "tanking for a quarterback" and replacing Pickett.
JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA/GETTY
USC QB Caleb Williams is so talented, he has people asking what if?
But now the situation is different. Pickett showed Pittsburgh how resilient and talented he is. Most analysts agree that he has the skills to be the future of our franchise. Garvin states that he doesn't see Young or Stroud as being a "program changer." Moats isn't a fan of sounding like they are wishing ill on Pickett, so he just marks him as "unavailable" initially."
"I get what you're asking," says Moats. "Say we got the same expectations, but for some reason after game one or game two, Kenny's gonna miss six games and in that time, we're right on that cusp of we are about to be mathematically not being in this convo, do you even put him back out there or do you say you know what, we really got a chance to get one of these top picks. Let's go ahead and IR you because the season is already lost."
Deke and Moats bring up that sitting Pickett for the rest of the season is sending a mixed message, like the team is good with him being the franchise quarterback. Moats thinks the only way tanking for the draft would work is if Pickett was playing poorly for an extended period of time, while Deke maintains that you play to win regardless.
"I think he would have to be compromised or some legit factor," said Moats. "If it was a Matt Canada thing, he's playing bad, but it's really the scheme, that's the scenario you're talking about. If it looked like that, would you still be on this Kenny Pickett train a hundred percent, or would you eventually be like, 'You know what Caleb Williams, this might be the one,' even though it's hard."
Moats goes on to say that it reminds him of the situation out in Arizona, while not exactly the same, it is a similar scenario.
"I think of when Arizona decided to go Kyler Murray, they had just taken Josh Rosen the year before with the 10th overall pick, a rocky first year, but they were like, 'This is a program changer, this is a guy to us.'"
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USC Quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be chosen first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Garvin goes on to maintain that he is just not a normal prospect.
"I don't think this is a normal person. Somebody's gonna have some drama, somebody's gonna start the season slow and they're gonna be like we're gonna go get that life changer over there. Caleb's one of those generational ones, in terms of arm, speed, size, look."
What do you think? Would you ever be in favor of tanking for the draft? Would you tank if Pickett underperformed in 2023? Click to comment below.
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