OK, just hear me out. Right now the Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback room consists of Mason Rudolph and Skyler Thompson. That’s it. If Aaron Rodgers chooses ultimately not to grace us with his presence, then the Steelers will be in dire need of a quarterback. Enter Tyler Shough.
Believe me, I know all of the negatives. He will be 26 years old this September. He’s the same age as Trevor Lawrence who is already on his second contract in the NFL. Shough has had some pretty serious injuries and might be closer to being Brandon Weeden than he is anything else. But do yourself a favor and watch the tape.
The arm talent is there as is the quick release. He’s got decent mobility for a guy with his size (6’5” 225lbs) and his experience is easily the best in the Draft. He can make all of the throws the NFL demands and appears to be a lot more accurate than what his numbers show. There are of course negatives. Three different season-ending injuries have created a bit of gun shyness in the pocket which can lead to bad throws and poor processing.
Let me be clear however; drafting Shough in 2025 does not mean he’s the Steelers’ “QB of the future.” This would simply be an addition of the most experienced QB available in this draft. Let him be a third QB in the short term or work his way into being a reliable backup. He’s already played in several different offenses and when healthy, he’s played well.
Drafting Shough, or any other QB in this Draft in the middle to late rounds, does not keep the Steelers from drafting one next year. In fact, drafting Shough this season and then your ‘QB of the Future’ next year, goes a long way towards re-stocking the QB room.
The Steelers got here in quarterback purgatory through their own doing. Drafting an experienced and talented player like Shough can be a step towards rectifying the situation. Maybe you find a diamond in the rough and maybe you just find a backup for a few years. I’m good with either.
