Mike Chiari@@mikechiariIncluded Columnist IVFebruary 17, 2024
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are apparently not aiming to sign a veteran quarterback to begin over Kenny Pickett next season.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazettethe Steelers wish to provide Pickett another season to see if he can develop himself as the long-lasting starter, and they do not wish to interrupt it by producing a quarterback debate.
Per Dulac, that likely suggests the Steelers will not pursue Kirk Cousins in complimentary company or a trade for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. They apparently likewise aren’t most likely to trade for Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson or sign him must the Broncos cut him.
Pittsburgh utilized the No. 20 general choice in the 2022 NFL draft to choose Pickett, however he has actually not accomplished the level of success the company hoped so far.
Due to a mix of injuries and total ineffectiveness, Picketts’ profession numbers are doing not have through 2 seasons. In 25 video games, consisting of 24 as a starter, Pickett is 14-0, and he has actually finished 62.6 percent of his passes for 4,474 backyards, 13 goals and 13 interceptions.
Veteran Mason Rudolph began the last 3 video games of the 2023 routine season in location of Pickett, and he went 3-0, assisting the Steelers get to 10-7 and clinching a playoff area.
Offered how sturdily Rudolph soft-pedaled the stretch, Dulac reported that there is some “internal department” within the Steelers, as some think Rudolph needs to possibly be the starter over Pickett in 2024.
Rudolph is set to end up being a complimentary representative this offseason, and the Steelers have actually currently parted methods with Mitchell Trubisky, leaving Pickett as the only quarterback on the lineup presently.
Even if head coach Mike Tomlin and Co. desire Pickett to be the starter in 2024, they still need to generate a backup whether it’s Rudolph or another person.
None of Cousins, Fields or Wilson fit the expense because they all figure to get a beginning chance someplace in 2024 disallowing something unpredicted.
Cousins was having a profession year with the Minnesota Vikings last season before tearing his Achilles, Fields made strides as a passer and Wilson had a bounce-back year after a career-worst season in 2022.
One veteran quarterback who has actually been connected to the Steelers is Ryan Tannehill, who stood out with Arthur Smith as his offending organizer when they were with the Tennessee Titans.
The Steelers worked with Smith as their brand-new OC, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported there is an “expectation” that the Steelers will check out finalizing Tannehill.
While the 35-year-old Tannehill would most likely like to begin in a best world, he coped injuries and bad play the previous 2 seasons, and lost his beginning task to novice Will Levis in 2023.
Due to the fact that of that,