Steelers Get Completely Trashed As Franchise Is Still Reeling From The Kenny Pickett Saga

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a quarterback situation that has been mocked around the league over the last several seasons. The position has really been a mess for the franchise ever since Ben Roethlisberger announced he would be retiring after the 2021 season. The organization did not seem to have a legitimate succession plan, and that has led to several years of just putting Band-Aids over the most important position in football while still trying to remain competitive. Pittsburgh has done a good job at it as the team has made the postseason in three consecutive years, but the fan base is getting tired of the mediocrity.

After Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers scrambled a little bit. The organization went out and signed Mitch Trubisky during free agency and then drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The pick was a reach, and it was seemingly a mistake. The only starting-caliber quarterback to come from that draft was Brock Purdy, and he was the event's Mr. Irrelevant, being picked dead last. Malik Willis will also be getting a chance to start in 2026 after being a third-round pick in 2022.

The team gave up on Trubisky quickly, and then Pickett was thrown into the fire. Things did not work out as the quarterback was traded after two seasons with the team, and the Steelers have still been searching at quarterback ever since. ESPN insider Dan Graziano recently trashed the Steelers for their handling of the position.

"There isn't a playoff-type team that has taken the quarterback position less seriously than the Steelers have over the past three years," Graziano wrote. "It's as if the Kenny Pickett first-round flop broke their will and they've decided it's just not worth it to try for real answers. The overall roster looks better than it did a year ago, but the coaching change and the refusal to look anywhere else but Rodgers for a QB solution make Pittsburgh feel like a franchise whose ceiling is well established at this point."

Graziano believes the miss on Pickett may have seriously affected the organization and how it approaches the position, and that could be a big reason that the team has had a different starting quarterback in Week 1 in five consecutive seasons. That streak will end in 2026 with Aaron Rodgers returning to line up under center.

The veteran, quick-fix approach that the Steelers have used over the last three seasons has been interesting. Justin Fields and Russell Wilson seemed to work out a little bit back in 2024, but that crashed and burned quick. Rodgers played okay in 2025 as Pittsburgh won the AFC North, but that came out of a few bouts of luck. The veteran quarterback truly was not that good in 2025, and he could barely throw the ball down the field. The talent is still there, but he seemed unwilling to take certain shots.

Rodgers is back for another run as mentioned, and hopefully it leads to another playoff berth. The fan base wants to advance in the postseason, which is something that has not happened in nearly a decade.

Steelers Have To Find A Franchise QB

It is very hard to be considered a legitimate contender in the NFL without a franchise quarterback, and Pittsburgh has not had one of those for four seasons. After Roethlisberger retired, the team should have gone through a stretch of a couple years where they were not good. This could have put Pittsburgh near the top of the draft order, and landed the team a chance to draft a franchise quarterback. Now the Steelers are trying to put the pieces together with veterans while hoping a later selection like Will Howard or Drew Allar might work out.

What do you think of these comments from Graziano? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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