Getty The Steelers could be a potential landing spot for Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be in the running for a notable veteran quarterback.
Following the trade of Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns to the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo becomes the next veteran signal-caller likely to be on the move. As noted by NBC Sports’ Mike Florio, there are a number of teams that could be an ideal landing spot for the 30-year-old quarterback. According to Florio, the Steelers are one of those eight possible landing spots.
“If rookie Kenny Pickett won’t be ready, the question becomes whether Garoppolo would be better than Mitch Trubisky,” says Florio. “Many would say that, despite Garoppolo’s inability to get the 49ers over the top, he is.”
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Steelers’ Quarterback Competition Already Stacked
The Steelers’ top three options at quarterback is free agent signee Mitch Trubisky, rookie Kenny Pickett and veteran holdover Mason Rudolph. Pickett is obviously unproven as a first-year player, while Rudolph has never proven to be more than an adequate backup. Meanwhile, the Steelers’ potential opening day starter, Trubisky, flamed out with the Chicago Bears after just four seasons as the No. 1 overall pick and he spent last season as a backup with the Buffalo Bills.
In other words, the Steelers’ current options aren’t exactly intriguing.
For all of Garoppolo’s shortcomings, he’s a proven winner. The veteran quarterback is 33-14 as a starter and has led the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance and an NFC Championship Game berth. To top it all off, he’s won two Super Bowls as Tom Brady’s backup.
According to Pro Football Focus, Garoppolo posted a 74.9 offensive grade, ranking 15th among starting quarterbacks last season. During his 2019 season, Garoppolo posted a 77.9 offensive grade, ranking 13th among all starting quarterbacks.
The grades aren’t amazing, but they paint a picture of what Garoppolo is — a steady, above-average quarterback capable of leading the right teams deep into the postseason.
By comparison, Trubisky never posted higher than a 66.4 offensive grade during his four-season stretch as starting QB of the Bears. Meanwhile, Rudolph posted a horrendous 53.5 offensive grade in his lone prolonged stretch as starting QB back in 2019, ranking as the worst-graded quarterback (with at least 300 dropbacks) outside of Kyle Allen.
Why the Steelers Won’t Make Run at Jimmy G
Garoppolo would represent an upgrade over all three of the Steelers’ current quarterbacks. When one factors in that Pittsburgh has one of the better offensive supporting casts in the league — Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Najee Harris — combined with a defensive unit brimming with talent, the Steelers could reasonably win the AFC North with the veteran in at QB.
While Garoppolo is a great fit for the Steelers, it’s unlikely Pittsburgh makes a run at him, whether he’s traded or released. The Steelers already committed over $5 million in guaranteed money to Trubisky, which means he’s not going anywhere. Meanwhile, Pickett is the team’s first-round pick, so his spot is set in stone.
It’s reasonable to believe Rudolph could be moved, but the Steelers aren’t going to create a logjam at the quarterback position by bringing in another potential starter in Garoppolo.
Under different circumstances, it would make sense for the Steelers to bring in Garoppolo. However, given that Pittsburgh is set on either starting Trubisky or their future franchise QB in Pickett, Garoppolo makes little sense for Pittsburgh.