UNEXPECTEDLY: Pittsburgh Steelers’ Gerry Dulac announces his sudden departure due to…
After registering nine victories, qualifying for the postseason, and losing in the opening round, the Pittsburgh Steelers have emerged as the NFL’s top team. They might remain there given a recent news about their quarterback position. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac expressed grave concerns on the Steelers’ quarterback situation, which has been unstable since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement:
“In fact, there seems to be considerable internal debate regarding whether Mason Rudolph ought to start given how he concluded the 2023 campaign—winning the final three regular-season games to qualify for the postseason—about who should start.
Either way, the Steelers have no interest in signing a quarterback who wishes to start right away. This would include Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields, as well as possibly Russell Wilson due to his relationship with the Steelers. In order to find out if Pickett is the man to accomplish more than simply win a playoff game—something they haven’t done in a franchise-record seven years—they are determined to give him a third season.”
The Steelers are reportedly divided on who should start for the team, and they don’t seem to be interested in bringing in an outsider who could be the starter. With Mason Rudolph set to make his free agency in 2024 and Mitchell Trubisky as a free agent, the Steelers may end up with Kenny Pickett in the interim if they decide not to re-sign Rudolph. If Dulac’s report is accurate, then the Steelers aren’t ready to bring in a potential starter. The Steelers offence has been appallingly awful for a few years now, and their quarterback carousel is partly to blame.
With the team, Kenny Pickett has a 14-10 record as a starter since being selected in the 2022 selection. He’s been objectively terrible, throwing 13 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Despite Pickett, the Steelers have won 14 of his 24 starts. They brought in Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator earlier in the offseason. Smith just spent three seasons leading the Atlanta Falcons as their head coach.
During Smith’s tenure, the Falcons had a 21-30 record, winning 7-10 games annually. Other than George Pickens, there isn’t much to enjoy about the Steelers offence. And I’m not sure why the Steelers would be interested in signing a free agent who could start instead of an outsider. What specifically are they holding out for?
I’m thinking that because Pickett attended the University of Pittsburgh for his NCAA football career, the team selected him in the first round. He wasn’t a first-round pick, and at this point, he might not even be a backup quarterback. The Steelers would be looking for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft if they were sincere and serious about turning around their team. Hell, there might even be a few good starters available in free agency.
As of right now, Kirk Cousins is a free agent. Russell Wilson may be cut by the Denver Broncos, and Arthur Smith may team up with Ryan Tannehill once he becomes available. Remaining with Kenny Pickett would result in the Steelers continuing to lose games.