I fully realize that what I’m about to write could be proven 100% false when the National Football League’s new year begins in less than two weeks. Following the Combine which officially ended today, I get the distinct feeling that the Pittsburgh Steelers will head into Spring OTAs at least with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph as their quarterbacks.
In order for this to happen of course the Steelers need to sign Rudolph in free agency. I suspect he’ll get some attention from other teams following his sparkling performance to end the season but at the same time… Where else does he have the opportunity to play right away like he does in Pittsburgh? He could always get more money from another team and it’s certainly his right to take that but I wonder if he’ll find the same opportunity.
As for Pickett, Steelers’ General Manager Omar Khan said last week that the team has “full faith” in the third year QB. Those words mean little and if you don’t know that then you haven’t paid enough attention to how GMs speak this time of year. In a perfect world, Pickett would earn the starting job and raise the level of his game by leaps and bounds leading the team back to the postseason but this is far from a perfect world. Pickett has yet to show that he’s capable of the type of play expected of a first round draft pick but Khan and Mike Tomlin seemed determined to give him one, final shot.
Despite all of the “trade for Justin Fields” talk and the possibility of signing Russell Wilson, it just feels like this organization is going to ride with Pickett and Rudolph. For the record, Wilson was told today by Denver that he will be released when the league year starts but does he even fit what Arthur Smith wants to do?
As I said at the start, I could end up being wrong. But after the Steelers didn’t meet with any QBs at the Combine and with their overwhelming support of Pickett and desire to re-sign Rudolph, it just feels like we are destined for this combo again in 2024. The good news – for some of you – is that I’ve been wrong many times before.
