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At the start of this year’s NFL offseason, an upgrade at quarterback was seen as one of the biggest needs for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That has changed in a big way over the last month as the team added Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Those moves should mean the team will get much better play out of the position in 2024 than they’ve seen over the last two years.
Despite those moves, it seems the team is still seen as a good fit for one of the best quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
In an article examining the top quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL Draft, CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell named the Steelers as the best team fit for former Oregon QB Bo Nix.
Nix’s Impressive 2 Years at Oregon
Nix was thrust into the spotlight from the second his college career began. He immediately became the starting QB for Auburn and led them to a nine-win season as a freshman.
Unfortunately, the next couple of years didn’t go as well.
As a sophomore, Nix threw just 12 touchdowns while also throwing 7 interceptions and only completing 59.9% of his passes. The Tigers won just six games in his second season.
The following year he only threw for 2294 yards and 11 touchdowns as the Tigers once again won only six games.
After his junior season, Nix decided to transfer to Oregon in a move that completely changed his college career.
In his first year with the Ducks, Nix set new career highs with 3593 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and a 71.9% completion percentage.
His strong play helped the Ducks become one of the coutnry;s best offenses, averaging 38.8 points per game.
Nix got even better during his second year in Eugene.
During his fifth college season, Nix threw for 4508 yards and 45 touchdowns while completing 77.4% of his pass attempts. He also only threw 3 interceptions in his last season at Oregon.
Nix’s strong finish to his college career has revitalized his draft stock and turned him into an interesting option for teams that miss out on this year’s top four options at the position.
The Steelers’ Future at QB
The Steelers took some big steps this offseason to make sure that they improved their quarterback situation for the 2024 season.
They signed Wilson and traded for Fields. There is no question that one of them is going to be the starting QB in 2024.
It’s beyond that where things get a bit murky.
Neither player is currently under contract beyond the 2024 season.
Wilson is currently 35 years old, so he is only a short-term answer for the Steelers even if he holds onto the starting job for all of next season.
Fields could be the team’s answer for the future, but it remains to be seen how the team feels about what they see from him this year.
He will also become much more expensive for them after this season if they decide to keep him.
The fifth-year option on his rookie deal would cost the Steelers more than $25 million in 2025 if they exercise it.
If they don’t, they would need to work out an extension for him and starting QB contracts have gotten very expensive.
Sam Darnold will make $10 million this year as a placeholder for the Vikings. Gardner Minshew will make $12.5 million in a similar role with the Raiders.
The next cheapest starting QB in the league who isn’t on a rookie deal is Geno Smith. His deal is worth $25 million per year.
If the Steelers want to keep their QB costs down, it could be a good idea for them to take a chance on one in this year’s draft.
That pick shouldn’t come in the first couple of rounds. They need offensive line and wide receiver help too badly.
Where things could get interesting is if Nix slides in the draft. If he falls to the Steelers in round three, they could have a big decision to make with one of their picks in the round.
Quarterback shouldn’t be a priority for the Steelers in this year’s draft, but Nix could be worth taking a chance on if falls to them after they’ve addressed some of their other needs.
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