Sadnews: Steelers top star announce is departure after quarrelling with is coach
After the 2023 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers faced a long list of requirements. The team’s roster contained many spots that weren’t good enough at the end of the season or during. But those problems didn’t end with the players on the field; they also carried over to the sidelines with regard to the offensive coordinator role. What was the team’s assessment of the improvements?
In an attempt to have a superior quarterback leading the team, the Steelers signed quarterback Russell Wilson. However, Wilson wasn’t the only fresh face in the room. The quarterback room at the Steelers was completely redesigned.
After being traded, Kenny Pickett, a former starter, joined the Philadelphia Eagles as a backup quarterback. After realizing what was happening, Mason Rudolph signed a free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans. Mitch Trubisky, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, was cut by the Steelers and returned to support Josh Allen.
In exchange for quarterback Justin Fields, the Steelers sent a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears. Fields may start over Wilson if Wilson is sidelined by a long-term injury, or Wilson may perform well enough to prevent Fields from doing so.
In order to complete their quarterback room as the number three option, the Steelers also added veteran quarterback Kyle Allen via free agency.
Now that the quarterback room has been fully renovated, how do the Steelers rank?
It was sage of the Steelers to cut bait with Pickett; they were merely playing with smoke. In retrospect, Wilson looks like a lot stronger immediate starting option than Pickett did during his disastrous tenure as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. Then there is Fields, whose skill set could potentially transform the Steelers offense—which hasn’t been entertaining or dangerous in years—should he start as the starting quarterback. Being just 25 years old gives him another advantage: youth.
However, the Steelers made a grave mistake in assessing Pickett’s potential as an NFL starting quarterback. Because they wasted a first-round pick on a bust at the most crucial position in the game, they are unable to receive an A. The Steelers organization will suffer if Pickett is missed. It was all for naught, the effort invested in assessing Pickett, molding him, and assembling a group around him. They don’t currently have a quarterback under contract through 2025 or beyond. What happens if Wilson gets clean? Should he be hurt or perform poorly and Fields, who has promise but has been a total turnover machine, take his place?
In the event that none of them succeeds and the Steelers determine that neither of them is a desirable long-term choice to lead the team? The Steelers would be back in the same predicament they were in prior to the 2022 NFL Draft—that is, in dire need of a starting quarterback and compelled to sign a free agent, select a quarterback in the draft, or do both.
Ultimately, even though the action was the right one, Pickett’s transformation into a first-round bust lowers the letter grade.
After the 2023 season, the Steelers made the decision to try something different. Bringing in an offensive coordinator with NFL experience to the role may be a good move, as it reflects updated thinking. Although they don’t have the most creative coach, Arthur Smith fits the bill as a coordinator because they want to be a physical presence on offense. Wilson could be able to go back in time and use Smith’s offense to relive his glory days as the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.
Sadly, Smith’s tenure as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans did not carry over the success he experienced there, as he was unable to temporarily elevate former quarterback Ryan Tannehill from mediocrity when serving as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The offense was poor for the most of his tenure with the Falcons. Furthermore, why would that change with the Steelers if he was unable to utilize tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London effectively? Smith will have to decide whether to assist Fields become the future quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers or develop Wilson into an above-average starter.
It would have been good to see some creative thinking throughout the interview process, and the Steelers may be regressing by emphasizing how grounded Smith’s worldview is. However, it appears that under Smith, everyone is moving in the same direction and at the same time.
