The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have started the 2023 season in an ideal fashion with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers 30-7 in Week 1. It could have been worse. The New York Giants lost 40-0 on Sunday Night Football on NBC. The New York Jets managed to upset the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football with a thrilling overtime victory. Still, they lost Aaron Rodgers to an Achilles injury just four plays into his tenure as the Jets starter.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Anthony McFarland Jr. (#26) takes a handoff from Mitch Trubisky (#10) in Latrobe, PA.
One thing the Steelers have going for them is depth in the quarterback room. Pittsburgh has one of the best backups in the NFL with Mitch Trubisky. The Steelers have arguably the best third-string quarterback in the NFL with Mason Rudolph. The depth at the position will naturally lead to speculation with the Jets' current quarterback situation.
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was backed up by QB2 Mason Rudolph when injured in 2019.
On Wednesday, the founder of Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio, joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller for his weekly appearance on the program. Andrew Fillipponi commiserated with Florio about their joint predictions for the Steelers' season in 2023. Florio stated that he expected more from Pittsburgh before he turned his attention to the potential opportunity for Omar Khan to reach out to the Jets.
“You got to be careful it’s a backup that accepts Zach Wilson is the guy,” Florio began. “It can’t be somebody who goes in there with the attitude of I’m taking this job. That’s going to throw everything out of whack. The possibility that Aaron Rodgers will be around, you get this issue of different personalities and how they will mesh.”
By all accounts, Trubisky is a well-liked teammate. He slipped easily into the backup role behind Josh Allen. Trubisky also managed to get demoted and maintain a close relationship with Kenny Pickett. It is more likely that if the Steelers would trade one of their three quarterbacks, they send Rudolph, who has experience dealing with an injured veteran quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger.
“Who out there would make them Super Bowl contenders? Who could they get,” Florio asked. “The Steelers are one of the few teams that have the extra backup. The Steelers could do it if they would say fine, take Trubisky and Rudolph will back up Pickett, or take Rudolph and Trubisky will back up Pickett.”
Pickett is the established number-one option in Pittsburgh, and if the Jets seek to affirm that Zach Wilson is the starter or bust, the Steelers are the only real option for the Jets. Khan’s reputation is growing in the league as a shrewd operator after the Chase Claypool trade. It is possible that the Jets, who committed to a nearly 40-year-old quarterback, are not willing to sacrifice any more of their future for a backup quarterback. That could change if the Jets manage to pull off another upset on Sunday.
“This is going to be a tough year. They possibly weren’t going to make the playoffs even with Aaron Rodgers,” Florio concluded. “It surprises me, not that you should be sitting around waiting for injuries, but this isn’t something that was completely off the radar. They really shouldn’t feel stunned by this.”
Steelers' Mason Rudolph's Unexpected Return To Pittsburgh Came After He Had Other "Opportunities"
Florio's point tosses water on the ideal situation for the Steelers and most of their fans. The Jets had ample opportunity to sign Rudolph during the 2023 offseason. They did not. Just like the other 30 NFL teams that did not express any interest in bringing him in. It is always possible that a desperate Jets team would make an ill-advised trade if Wilson manages to win a few games and keep them in contention until October.
Youtube / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin speak to media at a draft press conference introducing Broderick Jones.
The real question for Khan and Mike Tomlin is if they want to make the move. Pickett does have a concussion issue. A portion of the fan base already believes he had an undiagnosed concussion in Week 1 against the 49ers. It would probably be reckless to trade either until the second-year quarterback proves he can be effective and protect himself. Then the question becomes, why help the New York Jets stay in the playoff race?
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Should the Steelers seriously consider helping the Jets by trading them a backup quarterback? Please comment below, or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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