Throughout the 2024 offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been linked to every big name at quarterback that was expected to become available.
It had given fans hope that maybe the team’s quarterback situation would improve for next season.
Now it looks like any improvement at the position is going to have to come from within the organization.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo revealed that sources have said the Steelers won’t be pursuing Russell Wilson even if the Broncos decide to move on from the nine-time Pro Bowler.
“The Steelers are not interested in signing Wilson in the likely event he’s released by the Denver Broncos, a source familiar with the coaching staff’s feelings on the quarterback at this stage of his career told The Athletic.”
The Athletic’s sources also said they aren’t going to go after Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins, or Baker Mayfield this offseason.
“Additionally, Pittsburgh is not among the teams actively working to trade for Fields, league sources told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Pittsburgh is also not pursuing Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield in free agency, according to league sources.”
If the Steelers are out on all of these notable QBs, then it will be another year of Kenny Pickett under center in Pittsburgh.
Steelers’ Hopes for Pickett
The first two years of Pickett’s career have been disappointing.
He has been responsible for just 17 touchdowns in 24 starts over those two years and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 1:1 as a passer.
Still, it seems the team has hope that he can succeed in the future now that they’ve gotten him a better offensive coordinator and should be improving the offensive line this offseason.
Arthur Smith has already gone and met with Pickett and it was reported that meeting went well.
The team’s GM also had some positive things to say about Pickett during his press conference at the NFL Combine.
“He has shown us some good things,” Khan said. “Obviously, there were some issues with the offense. I’m excited about the impact Arthur Smith is going to have on him. Arthur is very optimistic about Kenny.”
The Steelers will have to hope that optimism pays off or they will once again find themselves falling short of their goals in 2024.
Backup QB Will Be Important This Offseason
If the Steelers are sticking with Pickett as their starting QB, then their decision on a backup quarterback is going to become much more important this offseason.
In 2023 it was Mason Rudolph that ended up leading the team on three-game win streak to secure a spot in the playoffs.
They could find themselves turning to whoever their backup is once again in 2024.
The team has been able to put together a winning record over the past two seasons in spite of their quarterback play.
That could be the case again in 2024, which would leave them with a big decision to make in the middle of the year.
If that decision ends up needing to be made, they’re going to need a dependable option behind Pickett they can turn to.
There are some solid options out there with the possibility they could bring Rudolph back and free agents like Ryan Tannehill and Garner Minshew.
The Steelers are just going to need to make sure they get the right backup if they’re going to enter the 2024 season with Pickett under center.
Otherwise they run the risk of having another season where they’re not good enough to win a playoff game, but too good to get a draft pick they can use to find a franchise QB.
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Steelers Are Not Interested in Multiple Notable QBs: Report