Despite quarterback remaining a long-term issue for the Pittsburgh Steelers, don't expect them to address the position in Round 1.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten everything they could have asked for and more from the quarterback position in 2024. After buying low on Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, the team hoped that a right-tail outcome from one quarterback could make the offense competent enough to complement a strong defense and return to the playoffs.
Instead, both quarterbacks exceeded expectations, helping make Pittsburgh the best team in the AFC North through 14 weeks of action and opening the door for one – or both – to return in 2025.
The position is still somewhat uncertain, given the pending free agencies of Wilson and Fields, but the Steelers must feel much better about their situation under center than they did a year ago.
As such, the NFL Draft should provide the opportunity for Pittsburgh to add to its ready-made roster at a position of need that could help support whichever quarterback may return. While due diligence is mandatory, the team is no longer particularly likely to take a passer in Round 1, as it did in Fox Sports’ recent mock draft.
With the 27th pick, the Steelers took Miami’s Cam Ward.
“The Steelers success this season while rotating quarterbacks is commendable, but with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields pending free agents, the club has little choice but to be evaluating this year’s rookie crop,” Rob Rang wrote. “Agile, instinctive and accurate, Ward could be a fun fit should Pittsburgh decide to draft and develop a young quarterback.”
A Ward selection has grown increasingly unlikely for multiple reasons. Ward, a Heisman finalist who will learn his fate on Dec. 14, has seen his stock skyrocket toward the top of the class. No longer is he the second-tier gunslinger adding intrigue to an uncertain crop of quarterbacks. He’s on track to be a top-five pick come April – far out of the Steelers’ reach.
But Wilson’s season – 6-1 through seven starts with 1,784 yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions – has been an excellent development. His leadership meshes well with head coach Arthur Smith, his skills fit offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme, and the offense has been strong enough to make the Steelers a threat, and not just a participant, in the playoffs.
He has played himself into a new contract with Pittsburgh this offseason, allowing the team to take its focus off young quarterbacks and further into players that can help Wilson win his second Super Bowl.
Although Ward’s stock slipping in the spring remains a possibility, taking a quarterback in the back half of Round 1 is no longer necessary. Picking a quarterback late on Day 1, in this class, is akin to turning back time to the days of Kenny Pickett. The Steelers escaped that mess, and Wilson gives them the option to not look back.
