The entire Pittsburgh Steelers organization needs to come to the realization that the majority of the franchise's 21st century success was led by Ben Roethlisberger. Kevin Colbert panicked in his last draft as general manager and selected Kenny Pickett in his swan song. The franchise now sits at 7-7 in 2023 and Mike Tomlin's precious streak of non-losing seasons is on the line. While the playoffs are still very much in reach, the idea of a Super Bowl any time soon is far-fetched. There are several needs in all phases of the game, but the need for a legitimate quarterback is unquestioned.
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Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) throws a deep ball down the sidelines while warming up for a 2022 matchup.
There's absolutely no doubt that Pickett had the short end of the stick with Matt Canada as his offensive coordinator. The starting quarterback finally showed that he might be capable of turning into the future answer in a Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but was injured the following week. The reality for Steelers fans is that Pickett is unlikely to bloom into a star.
It is essential for NFL teams to have a franchise quarterback. Steelers fans should be happy that Pickett has been bad in his first two years. The New York Giants paid Daniel Jones an incredible amount of money and that resulted in a non-playoff season and, unfortunately, a torn ACL. The Steelers front office needs to evaluate the position and the truth of the matter is that there are several options in 2024 that don't currently exist on the roster.
Pittsburgh, barring a trade, won't be in a position to draft a signal-caller in the top five picks of the 2024 NFL Draft. The obvious prospects of Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are not realistic options which could make the average fan root for the acquisition of current NFL player. There is a player that makes too much sense as long as Tomlin finally decides that the league he once knew is no longer a defensive-minded one.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the field at Acrisure Stadium prior to a 2022 regular season game against the New York Jets in Pittsburgh, PA.
It's fair to say that the Chicago Bears stink. They have managed to win five games in 2023, but currently have the Carolina Panthers' first-round pick due to a trade that the two teams made that allowed Carolina to select Bryce Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. That experiment hasn't worked out yet, which has led to the Panthers being in the driver's seat to be awarded the first overall pick in 2024.
It's hard to imagine that the Bears would pass up on a prospect like Williams, which then begs the question: what happens to Justin Fields? The third-year player out of Ohio State hasn't gotten a fair shake in Chicago. It would be wise for the Bears to trade him in 2024 while he still has value. That is, if indeed the organization decides to draft a new signal-caller like Williams.
Local media was quick to call out Fields for being outplayed by Joe Flacco in Week 15, but the Cleveland Browns currently boast one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Fields has displayed the ability to be a capable starting quarterback and is a better athlete than what the Steelers have at the position in 2023. He has battled the injury bug a bit since coming into the league, however, the same can be said for Pickett.
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Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (#8) winds up to make a throw during 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Pittsburgh enters Week 16 with a hobbled Pickett, a lost Mitch Trubisky, and a painfully average Mason Rudolph. Franchises need a dude at quarterback to be successful at the professional level and the Steelers don't possess that at this juncture. Losing out and ending up at 7-10 could lead to a top 10 pick, but barring a trade up, wouldn't be enough for one of the top two prospects. Trading a second-round pick for Fields has to be in the discussion.
General Manager Omar Khan completely fooled Ryan Poles of the Bears front office when Khan collected a second-round selection in exchange for Chase Claypool in 2022. After some serious evaluation, Khan and the coaching staff may come to the realization that they need to bring in legit competition for Pickett. Fields has the skillset to be a star and Khan has already swindled Poles once.
Steelers Have Two Crucial Decisions To Make In 2024 Offseason
There is no doubt that Pittsburgh will be on the hunt for its next offensive play-caller. That, paired with what the team decides to do with the quarterback position, will determine if a full-fledged rebuild is approaching for the Steelers or Tomlin can have a second burst of energy into putting together a championship-caliber team. It worked for Bill Cowher in the very beginning of the 21st century, and history does tend to repeat itself within the organization.
Do you think that the Steelers should target Fields in the 2024 offseason? Let us know in the comments below!
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