Opinions regarding the team’s quarterback issue have been expressed in a variety of ways since the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Various analysts have mentioned four different quarterbacks as possible candidates for the post.
During his press conference at the end of the season, Mike Tomlin asserted that the team’s quarterback was already on the roster.
Diontae Johnson endorsed the return of Mason Rudolph.
Antonio Brown, a contentious former Steelers receiver, has now spoken his thoughts on the quarterback position on his former team.
Brown encouraged people to “Ask AB” on Twitter. If he were the offensive coordinator for the Steelers, one user asked him who his quarterback would be and how many targets George Pickens would get per game.
Brown selected Rudolph and declared that Pickens would get at least 16 passes from his quarterback per game.
Rudolph did a good job finishing the 2023 regular season, but the Steelers may run into trouble if they start him at quarterback the following year.
The Problem the Steelers Are Having
The Steelers had an easy way to explain that they hadn’t given up on Kenny Pickett when they made the decision to continue playing Rudolph as their quarterback through the end of the 2023 campaign.
All they were doing was holding onto the burning hand.
The Steelers would be conceding failure on their investment in Pickett if they were to re-sign Rudolph and start him in the opening game of the 2024 campaign.
Just two seasons after the Vikings selected the struggling quarterback with the 20th overall choice, that would be a bitter pill to swallow.
Additionally, the move’s potential would be restricted.
True, Rudolph needed to win the final three regular season games to qualify for the playoffs, but the club was probably well on course to accomplish so even before Pickett’s injury.
Prior to his injury, he had a 7–5 record as the starter, which allowed Rudolph to take over.
It wasn’t really an improvement above what the team was getting from Pickett, going 10-7 with a first-round playoff exit.
That’s about the upper limit they can go with Rudolph.
Giving up on Pickett might be something the front office and supporters could tolerate if the team made a move for a veteran they believed might help them make it to the postseason.
It just doesn’t seem like enough to have nine or ten wins in a season and to lose out on the playoffs early.
If that is the only alternative available, then it seems wiser to hope that Pickett either succeeds or performs poorly enough to force the Steelers to select his replacement in the first round of the draft.
Increasing Pickens’ Involvement
Brown was correct when he said that the Steelers should involve Pickens more often.
He needs to see more of the ball, but four targets each quarter is a too much to ask.
Pickens was only targeted 106 times in 17 games during the 2023 season. That’s quite low for a man who finished the season with 1140 yards; that’s slightly over six targets per game.
More than the team’s quarterback play, there is a problem with the Steelers’ scheme. 2023’s Jets quarterbacks were terrible. Garrett Wilson remained the target of 168 attacks.
The manner Arthur Smith handled his weapons while playing for the Falcons was a frequent source of grievances from fans. Despite this, Drake London received 110 targets in 16 games from two underwhelming quarterbacks.
Pickens demonstrated his ability to be a legitimate WR1 in 2023.
If the Steelers want to enhance their offense in 2024, they must deploy Pickens like an exceptional option, regardless of who becomes their offensive coordinator going forward.
