Behind the Steel Curtain
There is no quick fix, unfortunately
Fresh off another first-round playoff exit, the Steelers have plenty of soul-searching to do this offseason. It may be contrary to popular belief, but they unfortunately have more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.
The good news is that they will likely have a lot of cheese to spend on the free agent pool and won’t have to rely on the NFL Draft to patch their wounds completely.
That could change if they bring back QB Russell Wilson and pay him $30+ million per year, which is his reported asking price. That would be a big mistake. But it does lead me right into the first need:
The black and gold are currently rostering one signal-caller in former Miami Dolphins QB Skylar Thompson. If Thompson is the starter this season, the tank is on (which might not be the worst thing in the world). He obviously won't be.
Listen, it’s evident that you need a star quarterback to compete for Super Bowls. The top of the AFC includes future Hall of Famers Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and more.
The problem is the Steelers can’t snap their fingers and find a star. So, my preferred route is to re-sign Justin Fields, who at age 25, still has the potential to fulfill his first-round status. Quarterbacks are resurrect able. Look at Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Geno Smith. Fields oozes so much more talent than those dudes, so I’d give him a shot, and if it fails, go all out to trade up for a quarterback in a strong 2026 class — which just happens to take place in the Steel City.
To be blunt, this room stinks. I give Calvin Austin III credit for playing much better than I anticipated, but for me, it’s George Pickens standing alone in a room like Will Smith in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” finale.
Many are hoping Roman Wilson can return from whatever type of season he just went through, but we have no idea what he is.
This is a solid wide receiver class, and I think if it’s addressed in round one with someone like Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, or Texas’ Matthew Golden, they’re taking a major step forward.
Free agency is also an option, but outside of Tee Higgins, I’m not particularly excited about the class. Keep an eye out on Christian Kirk, who Pittsburgh reportedly tried to acquire at the deadline before he suffered a season-ending injury.
I feel like I could make the same Fresh Prince analogy with this room. Outside of Joey Porter Jr. (who also had his fair share of struggles) this room consistently failed to meet expectations. The main culprits were Donte Jackson and Cam Sutton. I’m in favor of giving Beanie Bishop and Cory Trice Jr. more time in 2024; at least they have upside. However, I wouldn’t rule out the Steelers adding another outside corner in...
