Steelers' Omar Khan Refuses To Rule Out Surprising Move Of Selecting Quarterback In 2024 NFL Draft

The excitement continues to build for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the 31 other franchises as the 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching. The first round will commence on Thursday evening and while there will be an immediate run on quarterbacks, General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin won't be in the signal-caller market early on. That doesn't mean, however, that the organization is going to ignore the position altogether. Pittsburgh is in an interesting situation and after Justin Fields' fifth-year option is officially declined, there won't be one of the guys in the room under contract for 2025.

Both Khan and Tomlin addressed the media on Monday as is typical the week of the big draft weekend. The duo commented on several different topics and scenarios. An interesting point was brought up by Khan when a reporter asked about the prospect of selecting a quarterback. While the Steelers aren't in the first-round market for the position, an unlikely selection was not ruled out by the head of the front office.

"If you're asking me, I don't think it's realistic that we'll be taking a quarterback in round one if that's what you're asking, no," Khan said. "There's some good players there and I wouldn't close the door on anything. If there's an opportunity to improve that room, obviously we'll look at it, but like you said, we have three guys that are on one-year deals. We have to be open to it."

Those are certainly interesting words from Khan. It's a legitimate possibility that five quarterbacks are selected in the first round, with a wild number of six also being on the table. Pittsburgh wouldn't have made the moves to land Fields and Russell Wilson if they didn't expect at least one to be part of the future, but the uncertainty that exists in the NFL could cause them to act come draft weekend.

One big name to look out for is Florida State's Jordan Travis. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic has Pittsburgh taking him in the sixth round, which wouldn't be a bad low-risk, high-reward move for the franchise. This would be bad news for the third newcomer of the group, Kyle Allen. Anything is on the table when Khan is involved, given his unpredictability since he was promoted in May of 2022.

It's fair to say that the Steelers aren't going to be doing any kind of reaching for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, the team is known for finding diamonds in the rough. This hasn't been the case at quarterback with the position mainly being controlled by Ben Roethlisberger since 2004, but the need for a stout young arm has become clear.

Pittsburgh decided to sign Wilson and then trade for Fields, setting up for a dynamic one-two punch in the signal-caller room. Unfortunately, one is unlikely to return in 2025 if not given a true chance to prove his worth. That could lead to another desperation act in 2025, trying to find the future.

If there is a player to take a flier on in 2024, it could make sense given the fact that no one knows what the room looks like for the Steelers after the 2024 campaign. Kenny Pickett's downfall was not what the organization was expecting.

Steelers Have Much More Pressing Needs Than Quarterback

If Khan and Tomlin make the decision to go the quarterback route, it won't be until the very later rounds of the draft. Day three will be interesting, especially if a prospect that Pittsburgh likes slides down the board a bit. Regardless, it would be risky to not have a single guy at the position under contract for 2025, at the very least.