The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for building through the NFL Draft, while staying quiet in free agency and trading frenzies. Pittsburgh had decided, however, that enough was enough. The organization was tired of being mediocre, and to resolve that, they needed to improve the quarterback room. After ultimately trading former first round pick Kenny Pickett and acquiring quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, there were other rumors looming early in the 2024 offseason surrounding a handful of other quarterback names, one of those being Ryan Tannehill.
Aside from the quarterback spot, the Steelers also desperately needed a new, qualified offensive coordinator to come in and get the job done. Bringing in a proven Arthur Smith has been somewhat encouraging thus far amongst fans and pundits alike. Smith and Tannehill led a Tennessee Titans offense in the 2019-2020 NFL season to an AFC Championship berth to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs. Falling short to the Chiefs 35-24, this would lead to Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes first Super Bowl win.
Smith and Tannehill have proven that they can flourish in a run-heavy offense, while utilizing the play-action and the deep ball. With Tannehill being on the quarterback market this offseason, the Steelers couldn't help but possibly consider bringing him in to compete, even as a backup. ESPN's Brooke Pryor recently wrote that the Steelers had legitimate ideas of bringing in Tannehill prior to the Wilson, Fields saga.
"The Steelers also considered reuniting Tannehill with his former offensive coordinator, Smith, per team source, and gave a cursory look at Kirk Cousins before quickly deciding signing him was out of their price range. Pickett remained Plan A."
This would only have been the Steelers' plan had they not been able to land Wilson or Fields and were forced to run it back with Pickett. Bringing in Tannehill would have been the actual competition for Pickett fans had all been hearing about from the front office, however a competition involving Wilson did not seem possible with the way Pickett handled the signing.
Now, Steeler Nation will never know how Pickett would perform under a competent coordinator for a full season in Pittsburgh. While Pickett kicks back as a backup for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers and Smith will chase their seventh Super Bowl victory with a quarterback room of Wilson, Fields, and the recently signed third-stringer, Kyle Allen.
"In his previous stint as a coordinator with the Tennessee Titans, Smith's offenses had flourished with the duo of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry, and there was optimism that a play-action, run-heavy offense in Pittsburgh would play to Pickett's strengths," Pryor continued.
Rumors Of Steelers Looking At Kirk Cousins, Although Likely Was Never A True Possibility
The most expensive quarterback on the free agent market this offseason was former Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Cousins, 35, is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury and yet somehow managed to land a four-year deal worth $180 million with the Atlanta Falcons.
There was optimism and hope for some that the Steelers would consider signing Cousins, but with one of the most expensive defenses in the NFL, there would be little money for Cousins. Head Coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that the Steelers did not have any serious intentions of signing Cousins, even though he was one of the best quarterbacks available.
After a dramatic start to the offseason for the Steelers, the Black and Gold are in a solid spot going into 2024. They fixed the two biggest issues that have held them back the last few seasons (quarterback and offensive coordinator), and they added great pieces to a defense that is already dominant year in and year out. With the draft ahead being the final place to add talent to the roster in 2024, the Steelers are near to having a complete team that can make a playoff push.
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