Anticipation is going to build for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers once Super Bowl LIX wraps up. The new league year will kickoff in mid-March, which has been a busy time for General Manager Omar Khan since he took over the front office. There are several questions that need to be answered, and it all starts with a position that has been in limbo since the 2021 season ended. The organization does not have a future resolution at quarterback, and no one is quite sure which direction the franchise will go in the coming weeks.
When Ben Roethlisberger retired after 18 seasons as the Steelers' quarterback, there was an overwhelming sense of gratitude from the fan base after nearly two decades of happiness. While he was saying goodbye to the game of football, he walked away with two Super Bowl rings and a Hall of Fame level career. What happened after he left the locker room has been far from exciting, however.
Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson have all had their separate opportunities to make an impact, but it's possible to argue that Fields and Rudolph, two of the more unlikely candidates if someone asked a fan a few years ago, had the best stretches as starters out of that group.
The Steelers' offense has struggled to find its footing without Roethlisberger and the lack of a legitimate stud at the position could even hurt the team as free agency approaches. On the latest episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, when talking about the ability, or lack thereof, to attract offensive free agents to the Steel City, the former two-time Super Bowl champion said that it could affect the sales pitch.
"Yes. Definitely," Roethlisberger said. "There is definitely going to be guys that question, 'Well, what are y'all doing at quarterback?' So until that stability is answered, and even if it is answered, right from the get-go, it's, 'Okay, we're going Fields' or 'We're going Russ'; whichever way it is, there still might be guys that [say], 'You know what, that doesn't, that style of play or that quarterback doesn't fit what I want to do.'"
This is incredibly valid from Roethlisberger. A star wide receiver like Tee Higgins could be entering the prime of his career and if he is interested in Pittsburgh, he could immediately be turned off by the Steelers' future direction at the quarterback position. Big splashes have been made on defense in recent years, but it's about time the organization makes one, or multiple, on the offensive side. Unfortunately, that might be challenging to do.
There is a lot that goes into free agency, and money is the most important aspect for players, but it's not everything. Some guys will accept a lesser role to compete for a championship while others want to capitalize on their talents and put up big numbers. There are scenarios where both can be true as well. The unfortunate idea that Pittsburgh might not have the pieces in place to attract a guy like Higgins is concerning.
Fans will know once the new league year begins how active the Steelers will be when it comes to adding offensive play-makers before the draft, but convincing some of the top options on offense might be challenging. Whether it seems as if Wilson, Fields, or someone else, is going to play under center in 2025, it could cause some worry amongst available players and their agents.
Steelers Adopting A New Way Of Thinking Is Critical Moving Forward
Teams need a stout offense to win in today's NFL. That has proven to be true in recent years. The quarterback position is the most important, and Pittsburgh needs to figure that out very quickly or problems could ensue. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is only so much of a selling point, as Roethlisberger noted on his podcast, but the organization needs a formidable, and permanent signal-caller if it wants to bring in high-profile play-makers on offense.
