The Steelers have a problem on their hands. The team started 11-0 but stumbled their way down the stretch. They finished 12-4 before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The 2021 offseason has already seen Carson Wentz, Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff shipped to new teams. The Steelers running game was poor, and Big Ben is aging. As the Steelers seem ready to bring back Roethlisberger for a final year, these are options the yellow and black could also look at before a final decision.
Steelers in-house options for QB: Mason Rudolph vs. Dwayne Haskins
The Steelers are giving Haskins a fresh start. The two-year-pro has a similar build and style of play as Roethlisberger. The future HOF also had immature issues similar to Haskins that he overcame earlier in his career. Haskins was highly-rated coming out of Ohio State. He was 1-5 as a starter in 2020, and he completed 61.4% of his passes for 1,439 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Steelers have already seen what Rudolph can do in their system. He went 5-3 with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His play was good enough to keep them competing for a playoff spot two years ago.
Steelers best trade option for QB: Sam Darnold
There have been rumors that Darnold could be on the trading block. He showed flashes of a franchise quarterback after going 7-6 in 2019. He had 19 touchdowns to 13 interceptions with an 84 passer rating. If the Steelers can fix their running game, plugging in Darnold seems like a no-brainer. Coaching and defense are already in place. This move could pave the way for the decade.
Steelers best free agency option at QB: Jameis Winston
Winston is a younger version of Big Ben. Both are gunslingers. While his decision-making has been a source of concern, there’s no doubt about his ability to make plays. He has almost 20,000 passing yards and 121 passing touchdowns in his career. A year of learning under Drew Brees could be the key to unlock his full potential. Winston has also been a Pro Bowler.
Steelers best draft option for QB: Kyle Trask
Florida’s Kyle Trask is a great risk/reward pick. He led a powerful offense through the best defenses the SEC had to offer. He has all the physical tools you want. He still needs to polish some parts of his game though. Trask has to improve on his deep ball accuracy, but his ceiling is high. He could find much success with time and the right NFL coaching.
