It is hard for NFL teams to admit they made a mistake. The Pittsburgh Steelers especially value their franchise’s consistency with three head coaches since 1969 and not having a losing season in the last 20 years.
But despite making the playoffs again in 2023, the Steelers rarely looked the part of a good team, and most of that was due to the quarterback position. Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky struggled, and it was only when the team turned to third-stringer Mason Rudolph in December that things started to look better.
But after another playoff loss, it was clear something needed to change. Instead of bringing that quarterback room back for another difficult year in 2024, the Steelers cleaned house in one of the most stunning quarterback room transformations in NFL history:
- Trubisky was released early in the offseason, allowing him to sign with Buffalo.
- Rudolph, the playoff game starter, signed as a backup with the Titans in free agency.
- After Denver released Russell Wilson and took on a record $85 million in dead cap money over the next two seasons, the Steelers jumped on the opportunity by signing Wilson to a 1-year contract worth just $1.2 million.
- Not taking the Wilson news well, Pickett was traded to Philadelphia along with a fourth-round pick in exchange for a third-round pick and two seventh-round picks in 2025.
- Just hours later, the Steelers announced they acquired Justin Fields from Chicago for just a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025.
Wow, they killed Kenny just like that.
It is not in Pittsburgh’s nature to cut ties with a first-round pick after just two seasons, but Pickett was not getting the job done, and now he is still just a backup behind Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia instead of staying to compete with Wilson, who is a decade older than Hurts. Bold strategy, Ken.
In the end, the Steelers acquired a couple of veteran quarterbacks and only had to take on a $1.2 million contract and give up a sixth-round pick in 2025. These moves basically carry no risk, and it gives the Steelers two shots at finding their next franchise quarterback to replace Ben Roethlisberger.
But how might these moves work out in 2024? There is a possibility the Steelers are back on the quarterback market a year from now if Wilson and Fields do not perform well this season. Let’s take a look at what we might see from this bold strategy, an uncharacteristic move by Pittsburgh to say the least.
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