Art Rooney II of the Steelers maintains options for veteran QB trades.
It’s still conceivable that the Pittsburgh Steelers will try to acquire an experienced quarterback in the summer. When questioned about the possibility of signing a veteran quarterback, assuming the right circumstances were met, team owner and president Art Rooney II declined to rule out the concept in an interview with Bob Pompeani of KDKA TV. “As we sit here in early February, we’re not closing the door on anything,” Rooney said. “We have a lot of evaluations to go through, and we’ll explore all options to enhance our performance in the upcoming season.”
This appears to be at odds with what Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said at his final press conference of the season. Last month, Tomlin boldly declared that the quarterback for the squad in 2024 was already on the roster.
Kenny Pickett’s deal is set to expire in two years, and Mitchell Trubisky’s contract is set to expire in two years as well—at least for the time being. Mason Rudolph is scheduled to become a free agent. Rudolph took over as the starting quarterback in the final three regular-season games and the playoff game versus Buffalo.
Despite being a first-round pick in 2022, Rudolph’s promotion to the starting lineup over Pickett, who had recovered from an ankle ailment, was a noteworthy event that begged concerns about Pickett’s future.
As NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reports, Pickett was originally supposed to head the offseason program as the starting quarterback, although he would face competition. According to Rooney’s most recent remarks, there could be a number of competitors, including seasoned athletes.
The Steelers appear open to any and all options to put pressure on Pickett in the upcoming season, including trading, selecting a quarterback from the 2024 NFL Draft pool, re-signing Rudolph, and investigating other options.
