The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely be in the market for a quarterback in the 2024 offseason. Kenny Pickett has had moments when he's shown promise of being the signal-caller many envisioned when Pittsburgh used the 20th overall pick to select him in the 2022 NFL Draft. With a mix of injuries and inconsistency, Pickett still hasn't shown enough to be named the franchise guy.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky wait for a drill to start during a practice in the summer of 2022.
Mason Rudolph is a free agent entering the 2024 offseason after his best stretch of games in a Steeler uniform. Mitch Trubisky is still under contract until the end of 2025, but could be released after he fell out of favor with poor performances in his two seasons in Pittsburgh which led to him riding the bench.
The 2024 NFL Draft has some high-end signal-callers that should come off the board in the first 10 picks due to their talents, and the quarterback-needy teams have those top picks. Caleb Williams has had the generational talent label pinned to him by some draft gurus throughout his collegiate career. Some of the hype has quieted after he took a step back statistically in 2023, but he's still expected to be the first overall pick in April.
University of North Carolina's Drake Maye is the presumed runner-up to Williams in this class and should be off the board fairly quickly. Jayden Daniels has seen a run-up on mock drafts after he scored 50 total touchdowns combined rushing and passing to secure the Heisman Trophy. Unless Pittsburgh is making a move up, these top quarterback prospects will all likely be gone before pick 20.
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USC quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be a generational talent in the 2024 NFL Draft, but the Steelers won't have a high enough pick to take him.
Pittsburgh will likely be looking at the next level of quarterback prospects if they're interested in finding a new starter to challenge Pickett. Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo said on the Friday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, after getting a chance to watch Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr., that he wouldn't reach to take either of them.
"To me, there's no difference between Kenny Pickett and Bo Nix," he wrote. "There's no difference between Pickett and Penix. These second-tier quarterbacks in this draft, I don't believe they would be an upgrade on Pickett."
The Steelers are putting a lot of pressure on Pickett in 2024 to show some tangible growth on the field. Fittipaldo said the best way they can help him to show that is to surround him with talent. He added that even if it doesn't work out for Pickett in 2024, using those premium first and second-round picks on either offensive linemen or skill-position players would help whoever the next quarterback.
Steelers Could Still Be In The Market For A Quarterback At 2024 Draft
Despite probably not being in a position to find a true upgrade over Pickett as their starting quarterback for 2024, Fittipaldo said he wouldn't rule out the team taking a player at the position entirely. The quarterback room for 2024, outside of Pickett, is still very much a question. The organization has said they would like Rudolph back for 2024, and he initially indicated he wants to be back, but could another team swoop in with an offer he can't refuse? Absolutely.
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Quarterback Spencer Rattler at the Senior Bowl.
Fittipaldo seemed to think Trubisky was as good as gone for 2024. He hypothesized that the Steelers' 2024 quarterback room has Pickett, a veteran backup, and a developmental prospect type from the draft. He mentioned South Carolina's Spencer Rattler or Tualne's Michael Pratt as potential later-round fliers that the team could take to fill up the final spot on the roster.
The draft is not an exact science. Heck, Brock Purdy was the last pick in the same draft as Pickett and has already played in a pair of NFC Championship games. Whether or not Pittsburgh decides to take a quarterback in 2024, Pickett's play in 2024 will dictate if they need to be thinking seriously about it again in 2025.
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