The Pittsburgh Steelers completely revamped their quarterback room this year by adding a former first-round draft pick, Justin Fields, and a Super Bowl winner, Russell Wilson. But on October 9, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox suggested the possibility of the Steelers making another addition at quarterback with Bryce Young.
Knox named the Steelers one of two potential suitor for the 2023 first overall selection.
“Young might also interest the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have a functional starter in Justin Fields but have no quarterbacks under contract beyond this season,” wrote Knox.
“Fields is still young enough to be a long-term solution for Pittsburgh. If his play slips, however, Young could be the next former first-rounder on whom the Steelers take a flier.”
The Carolina Panthers benched Young after Week 2 this season. That was about 17 months after they traded up to No. 1 overall to select the Alabama quarterback.
In addition to the Steelers, Knox also named the New York Jets a potential suitor for Young.
Will the Carolina Panthers Trade Bryce Young?
Young went one spot ahead of C.J. Stroud at the beginning of the 2023 NFL draft. But Young hasn’t experienced anywhere near the success Stroud has.
As an NFL starter, Young has posted a 2-16 record. He’s completed under 60% of his passes with 11 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions. He has also averaged only 5.4 yards per attempt.
The Panthers hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales as head coach to help develop Young. But after two weeks this season, Canales pulled the plug on Young, replacing him with veteran Andy Dalton.
Through two games, Young significantly regressed in completion percentage and yards per attempt compared to his rookie season. He also had zero touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Since his benching, pundits have speculated that the Panthers will move Young before the NFL trade deadline.
On one hand, it would make sense for Carolina to move on. But the Panthers gave up so much for the right to draft Young, it also seems unlikely that they would throw in the towel on the 23-year-old already.
To acquire the 2023 No. 1 pick to draft Young, the Panthers sent two first-round selections, two second-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears.
Obviously, if the Panthers were to trade Young now, they would receive pennies back on that original investment.
Steelers QB Situation as NFL Trade Deadline Approaches
The Steelers are an interesting possibility for Young due to a couple reasons. The team’s quarterback situation is far from settled having lost back-to-back games.
Entering Week 6, the Steelers are ranked 27th in passing offense. On paper, Young has the talent to help in the long term, and after his benching, he’s a cheap reclamation project.
Young would also give the Steelers a quarterback set to be on the roster in 2025.
But the fact the team’s quarterback situation is so unsettled might deter the Steelers from adding to the chaos with a former No. 1 pick.
Wilson could potentially return to start for the Steelers at some point over the next couple weeks. If that happens, Fields will move into a backup role.
That would leave Young, if he was on the Steelers roster, without much of an opportunity to improve in practice. No. 3 quarterbacks don’t receive a lot of repetitions while preparing for games.
Knox’s proposed hypothetical where Young slots in on Pittsburgh’s roster as Fields’ backup sounds appealing. But it can’t really happen while Wilson is still on the roster even if he isn’t starting.
Assuming the Steelers sign Fields to a long-term deal, perhaps the team could pursue Young in 2025 after Wilson departs in free agency. But there’s no guarantee Young will still be available.
