At the present moment, the Pittsburgh Steelers do not have a starting quarterback. While future Hall of Fame signal-caller Aaron Rodgers is likely to eventually re-sign with the team, nothing is certain right now. The bigger quarterback question may surround his future replacement. Of course, no one knows who that will be either.
While young Will Howard and experienced backup Mason Rudolph are still on the roster, there is always the chance that Rodgers’ long-term replacement could be found in this draft. However, even though the Steelers might end up choosing a quarterback if the right opportunity presents itself in this draft, that choice could create a whole new issue outside of the no Rodgers problem.
The Pittsburgh Steelers May Need to Trade Away a Backup
GettyMason Rudolph was drafted by the Steelers out of Oklahoma State in the third round back in 2018.
Here was what insider Mark Kaboly had to say via 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday about the new problem that could occur if the Steelers draft a quarterback in the third or fourth round:
“At that point, if there’s good value (in the third or fourth round), I think they will pull the trigger on it and take one, which creates a whole different problem of if Rodgers comes back, then you have two rookie quarterbacks, so to speak, backing up. If you’re drafting a quarterback in the third round, early fourth, you’re probably trying to shop Mason (Rudolph) at that point.”
If the Steelers were to draft another quarterback, it would then appear that they would have four quarterbacks on the roster if Rodgers returns. It would be Rodgers, Rudolph, Howard, and whoever the team selects. As Kaboly noted, the Steelers would then perhaps be prompted to trade away Rudolph, seeing as he isn’t the future for Pittsburgh. But also, the team may want to keep him around in case Rodgers shockingly doesn’t come back.
Will Howard Deserves Some More Credit Here
GettyWill Howard was drafted out of Ohio State by the Steelers in the sixth round last year.
All of this talk of the Steelers drafting a quarterback has made people forget that the team might already have its quarterback of the future in the fold. Former national champion Will Howard, who clearly has the respect of Rodgers, already has a year of learning from the legend under his belt. Unfortunately, he had to battle a fractured hand that kept him from earning any sort of significant playing time. That and the fact that he was third on the depth chart behind Rodgers and Rudolph.
What would perhaps be more straightforward for the team is if it drafted a quarterback in the fifth or sixth round. That way, they can keep the steady backup in Rudolph behind Rodgers while finding good competition for Howard. What happens if Rudolph is traded and Rodgers, if he returns, gets hurt? Could the Steelers trust a young player to take over an experienced offense after getting virtually no playing time? This draft is going to be incredibly intriguing because of predicaments like this.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Insider Makes Strong Statement About Steelers Drafting QB appeared first on Heavy Sports.