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The Pittsburgh Steelers could take an unexpected approach to their quarterback situation this offseason.
At least, that’s what one reporter believes right now.
On his January 22 episode of the “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden predicted that the Steelers would let Mason Rudolph leave in free agency to “protect” Kenny Pickett.
“If you made me bet on that, it would be Josh Dobbs,” Madden said. “I think they’ll let (Mason) Rudolph go because the minute Pickett has a bad game, the fans will clamor for Rudolph to come in. (The Steelers) don’t want any real pressure, no real competition. So no matter what Tomlin says in that regard, Pickett is the No. 1. Somebody who’s not on the roster right now is No. 2. Everything that’s going to happen this offseason is preordained.”
The situation Madden is talking about playing out if the Steelers keep Rudolph wouldn’t be anything new for Pennsylvania sports fans.
Carson Wentz was an MVP candidate before a knee injury ended his 2017 season.
Nick Foles started the last three regular season games and went on to win that year’s Super Bowl.
The following year, there were frequent calls for Foles to take over until a Wentz injury made it a reality.
Wentz never reached that MVP level again.
Pickett obviously hasn’t reached that same level, but frequent calls for a different QB could similarly stunt his development.
Instead, it seems Madden believes another familiar face will get the backup role.
A Reunion With a Familiar Face?
Madden’s prediction on Rudolph also included his prediction that Josh Dobbs would be the team’s backup in 2024.
Dobbs would give the team another familiar face on the bench.
The veteran QB has actually already had two stints with the franchise.
He was drafted by the Steelers in 2017, but they traded him two years later after he lost the backup job to Rudolph.
He was brought back in 2020 and spent two seasons with the team before hitting free agency again.
The 2023 season was a very uneven one for Dobbs. He impressed early in the season as he kept the Cardinals surprisingly competitive while they waited for the return of Kyler Murray.
Once Murray returned, he was traded to the Vikings and led the team to a win just five days after joining the team.
By the end of the season, he had fallen behind both Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall to become the team’s third stringer.
Now he could potentially become the Steelers’ backup again so that Pickett doesn’t have to face a threat to his job.
The Steelers Need Real Competition at QB
Even if the Steelers decide that bringing Rudolph back could end up being an issue if Pickett struggles, the team still needs to bring in somebody that can give him actual competition for the job.
Pickett needs to be pushed to continue improving during the offseason or the team is going to continue to fall short of achieving anything truly meaningful.
The Steelers also need a contingency plan in case Pickett is injured or just plays badly in 2024.
The free agent class isn’t overly inspiring, but there are a couple of interesting names out there who could push the young QB without getting the same backing from fans that Rudolph would.
Gardner Minshew didn’t make a ton of money in 2023, but got the Colts within a game of the playoffs.
He has been viewed as a backup for most of his career, but is at least somebody that Pickett would actually have to beat for the job.
Ryan Tannehill could give Pickett some unique insight as his backup. Tannehill wasn’t an immediate success after being drafted eighth overall, but turned things around and eventually made a Pro Bowl.
He struggled in 2023, but had little to work with in Tennessee. Pickett should be able to outplay him in the preseason, but he wouldn’t be a bad option to have as a backup.
The Steelers don’t need to keep Rudolph around if they think it will hurt Pickett’s develop, but they still need somebody that can challenge their struggling QB and hopefully bring the best out of him.
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