All cards are on the table for the Pittsburgh Steelers at the quarterback position this offseason.
That was the message from owner Art Rooney II, who admits that the organization is actively searching for an upgrade over incumbent starter Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph, who led the Steelers to a postseason berth to cap the 2023 campaign.
"As we sit here in early February, we're not closing the door on anything," Rooney told KDKA TV in a recent interview. "We have a lot of evaluations to go through, and we'll go through all of the options and do what we need to do to be better this coming season."
BREAKING: Steelers President Art Rooney II tells the legend @kdpomp that the Steelers are NOT closing the door on a quarterback trade. (i.e. Justin Fields) pic.twitter.com/5Rx8lphYT0
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) February 7, 2024
Just within the division, the Baltimore Ravens barnstormed to the AFC Championship Game with Lamar Jackson, the Cincinnati Bengals are built for sustained success around Joe Burrow, and the Cleveland Browns are committed to Deshaun Watson, at least for now.
The Steelers might need consistently higher-level quarterback play than Pickett, Rudolph, and Mitchell Trubisky have provided the past two seasons in order to simply remain competitive within the division.
While one NFC scout tells FanBuzz that the Steelers might be better off spending at the top of the free agent market at the position, there are several veteran quarterbacks who could be available this offseason who would immediately upgrade the position.
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Despite spending the past two seasons woefully mismanaging the Falcons' personnel, new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith experienced the most success of his career when calling plays for the Tennessee Titans with quarterback Ryan Tannehill behind center.
Tannehill was the first name mentioned by an NFC personnel executive when asked to identify a best fit for the Steelers, and a reunion with Smith could prove a best-case scenario for all parties involved. After the Titans moved on to former second-round draft choice Will Levis in 2023, Tannehill could be available this offseason.
In two seasons with Smith calling the plays, from 2019 to 2020, Tannehill completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 6,561 yards with 55 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions over that span.
Smith and Tannehill's mutual familiarity might be exactly what the Steelers need to maximize the offense's potential in 2024.
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
What the Bears decide to do at quarterback; build around Justin Fields or select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft will have a ripple effect across the NFL.
If the Bears make Fields available, he'll immediately be the most coveted veteran quarterback available on the trade market, and the Steelers would present an opportunity to quickly accelerate the 24-year-old former first-round pick's development.
Fields is an electrifying dual-threat quarterback, who still has yet to prove that he can be a consistent threat from the pocket for an entire season. Still, in 13 games during the 2023 season, Fields completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 2,562 yards with 16 touchdowns to nine interceptions while adding 657 yards and four more scores.
Dropping Fields into the Steelers' offense, with a dynamic wide receiver in George Pickens in place and a burgeoning running game could be a formula for Pittsburgh to mount an immediate challenge to the Ravens' AFC North supremacy.
Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The New England Patriots, and new head coach Jerod Mayo, will likely plot a new course by selecting a franchise quarterback of the future with the No. 3 overall pick this April. Regardless of who opens the season behind center, it's become apparent that the relationship with Jones has dissolved beyond repair.
Trading for Jones would be a move that falls into the category of providing competition with Pickett for the starting job.
Likely a reclamation project, Jones is a career-66.1 percent passer for 8,918 yards with 46 touchdowns to 36 interceptions across his first three NFL seasons. Still, Jones boasts first-round pedigree, and had his finest season as a rookie with Josh McDaniels at offensive coordinator before a revolving door began spinning on Bill Belichick's offensive staff the last two seasons.
Jones could prove to be a high-end game-manager in Smith's run-based offense.
Trey Lance, Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in an awful salary cap predicament this offseason, and will sign Dak Prescott to a mega-extension to help alleviate some of the pressure. Moving on from Trey Lance to acquire additional draft capital could be an enticing proposition for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.
Cooper Rush is a far cheaper option as Prescott's top backup, slated to count just $2.87 million against the cap, while Lance is a former No. 3 overall draft choice which could make him an attractive option for the Steelers.
Smith's quarterback-friendly system could alleviate some of the concerns that arose in San Francisco surrounding Lance's anticipation and accuracy, while leaning heavily on the running game could create opportunities for the 23-year-old to take advantage of opportunities attacking defenses in the vertical passing game.
