After 18 years in the National Football League, it’s sounding more and more likely that the 2021-22 season will be Ben Roethlisberger‘s last. Over the last few years, Pittsburgh has taken stabs at potential replacements for Roethlisberger, usually utilizing late-round draft picks in hopes of molding a young prospect into a starter. But Roethlisberger potentially putting an end to his career when the season concludes places a lot more pressure on the Steelers to come up with a solution.
The easiest solution is to use the materials you already have. Pittsburgh currently has two quarterbacks on the active roster behind Big Ben and one on the injured reserve. Former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins and Joshua Dobbs, currently on IR, both have deals that expire at the end of the season, but it’s easier to have contract discussions with players already in the building than those who are not.
Mason Rudolph is the team’s current primary backup. Rudolph beat out Dobbs for the No. 2 quarterback job and took over as the team’s starter in 2019 when Roethlisberger was ruled out for the season after an elbow surgery. Rudolph went 5-3 as the Steelers’ starter before getting benched for Devlin Hodges after struggling against a winless Bengals team. He completed 62% of his passes for 1,765 yards and threw 13 touchdowns to nine interceptions on the year. Before the 2021 season, Rudolph signed a one-year extension, pushing his free agency back until after the 2022 season. Rudolph has appeared in one game this year, filling in as Roethlisberger was held out with COVID-19. In a game that resulted in a tie with the winless Lions, Rudolph completed 30 out of 50 pass attempts for 242 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception.
Haskins was taken in the 2019 NFL Draft with the 15th overall pick by the Washington Football Team. He saw some time for Washington in two games in the first eight weeks of his rookie year, but he earned his first start in Week 9 after the season’s original starter, Case Keenum, could not play with a concussion. Haskins took over the offense for every game but one for the rest of the season as he missed Week 17 with an ankle injury. Haskins retained the starting job to begin the 2020 season, but he was benched in a Week 5 game against the Rams. He returned to the field when new starter Alex Smith left the game in Week 14 with an injury. Haskins started the next two games before being benched once again, this time for Taylor Heinicke. Haskins was released the next day due to some controversies with breaking COVID-19 protocols and not meeting the team’s standards off the field. In two years of play, Haskins completed 60% of his passes for 2,804 yards, throwing 12 touchdowns to 14 interceptions.
There are plenty of different directions Pittsburgh could go to replace Roethlisberger should this be his final season. While they haven’t quite proved to be world-beaters, Rudolph and Haskins do provide the Steelers with workable options who are already in the building. If the Steelers decide that they don’t think they can win a Super Bowl with the talent currently in their QB room, they’ll be sure to explore some options via free agency, trade and the 2022 NFL Draft.
If the likes of Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss’s Matt Corral, North Carolina’s Sam Howell or Liberty’s Malik Willis don’t pique Pittsburgh’s interest, the Steelers could look into a short-term free-agent rental as they have in the past with quarterbacks Michael Vick and Bruce Gradkowski. Quarterbacks Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton and Teddy Bridgewater are some of the bigger names set to hit the market this offseason who could delay the Steelers’ need to select a quarterback until some more attractive prospects potentially surface in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Steelers could also trade, as they did for Dobbs, with a number of quarterbacks rumored to be available for a price. Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is obviously the most available option, due to a league investigation that could result in disciplinary action. 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been rumored to be available due to the expected emergence of 2021’s No. 3 overall draft pick, Trey Lance. Garoppolo is not known to be flashy, but has still accomplished a 30-13 record as a starter in the NFL. Two other veterans who have shown a little frustration with their current squads and may be open to a trade are Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers.
While Steelers management is certainly preoccupied right now with making the playoffs in a wild AFC, they will have much to consider when the season comes to an end. Whoever ends up under center for the Steelers in Week 1 of the 2022-23 NFL season, it will certainly be a change of pace for the franchise if the jersey doesn’t have 14 letters across the top.
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