There’s a good chance that over the course of the next two weeks the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers will be determined. What happens in Miami and then in Philadelphia will likely lay the groundwork for what Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin have in store when it comes to their quarterback, their draft and how the rest of the season unfolds.
The trade deadline for the National Football League is set for Tuesday November 1st. That means the Steelers will have completed games with the Dolphins and Eagles which will leave them 2-6, 3-5 or 4-4 (barring a tie) as they head into their BYE week. In the last 24 hours, there were several reports that teams are interested in Chase Claypool and possibly one of the Steelers’ quarterbacks not named Kenny Pickett. While I don’t really like to assume anything, let’s go ahead and do just that.
If the Steelers crawl into the BYE at 2-6 then Khan and Tomlin will have to strongly consider any offers they may receive for existing players. There is zero reason not to move Mason Rudolph who spends his Sundays dressed like a guy going to Starbucks after a late Saturday night. His contract ends when the season does and if a team is willing to give up a sixth or even fifth round pick then you take it. The situation becomes slightly more complicated if teams are interested in Mitchell Trubisky. I say this only because it’s obvious they prefer him to Rudolph as Pickett’s backup. “Pickett’s backup” you say? Yes I do! Mike Tomlin was very clear today that despite being in concussion protocol, Pickett will still get the snaps if he’s feeling well.
The rumor about the Green Bay Packers being intrigued by Chase Claypool comes on the heels of his finest game in a long time. Do the Steelers think this is the springboard he needed to get him back to his rookie form? Or was this just a blip on the radar? The next two weeks will dictate that but if the Packers or someone else came calling with a second or third round offer could they turn it down? Even at 2-6, there still could be hope for the Steelers but this year seems a bit daunting as deep as the AFC is. The only thing really keeping the Steelers alive at this point is the sub-par play around the rest of the division.
Mike Tomlin will never admit that what they may or may not do at the trade deadline is an indication of the team’s direction. He sure as heck won’t admit to a rebuild if it comes to that. A couple of moves could ultimately help rebuild the number of draft selections and the team in general but that will all depend on the next two weeks. It also requires a deep look into this franchise as a whole. While no one will use the word “rebuild” there’s a lot of evidence that suggests that’s exactly what is needed.
Feature image courtesy triblive.com
