There has been no shortage of quarterbacks rumored to the Pittsburgh Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement. Everyone from free agents, to draft picks, to potential trade targets. Here is our top five Steelers quarterback wishlist for 2022:
Not so honorable mention: Deshaun Watson:
In a perfect world we would pretty much let the Texans decide what it would take to get Deshaun Watson, and pay it. Under 30 super star quarterbacks who haven’t even sniffed their peak never, ever become available. He would easily be number one in any Steelers quarterback wishlist. Unfortunately Deshaun Watson comes with a tractor trailer sized amount of baggage. Multiple sexual assault accusers have come forward with complaints against the Texans quarterback. This would be a tough sell as the face of your franchise to begin with, let alone one you will have to pay dearly to acquire. Steelers ownership will almost certainly steer clear of Deshaun Watson, and we can’t say we blame them.
5. Malik Willis:
If the Steelers can’t add a veteran quarterback this off-season, Malik Willis is easily our favorite from the 2022 draft class. His upside, and athleticism would add instant excitement to this offense. No other quarterbacks in this class would be able to move the needle for this franchise. It’s Malik or bust in this draft as far as we are concerned.
4. Marcus Mariota:
Marcus Mariota might be the most likely of all these players to end up being the Steelers starter in week one. He is a free agent who should come at a reasonable price. A former number two overall pick who is still young enough to turn his career around. We go into him in more detail here: Marcus Mariota perfect fit in Pittsburgh?
3. Russell Wilson:
A few factors drag Russell Wilson down this list in our eyes. First and foremost, the haul of assets it would take to acquire Wilson would be significant. We are talking several first round picks, along with other assets to acquire the Seahawks super star. Coming off a down year, and turning 34 early into next season are also concerns. Even with these possible pitfalls, we should still be in favor of Russell Wilson in black and gold next season provided the next two on our list fall through.
2. Mitch Trubisky:
Finding a “bridge” quarterback for 2022 seems like the most prudent move for the Steelers. The draft isn’t very good at quarterback, and their are no sure fire free agents to be had. Any trade for a top tier quarterback would cost a significant amount of draft picks and other assets. For a team with many holes to fill, trading multiple assets would leave the roster seriously depleted. So why not find a bridge quarterback with some serious upside? That’s where Mitch Trubisky comes in. He spent 2021 backing up Josh Allen in Buffalo, where he impressed teammates and coaches alike. https://heavy.com/sports/buffalo-bills/josh-allen-mitchell-trubisky-starting-qb/
Mitch Trubisky is not the perfect solution to the Steelers quarterback situation, but the team could do much worse. Rather than overextending themselves in a trade, all he would cost is a small amount of money compared to others at the position. Not to mention there’s always the possibility of Trubisky finally fulfilling his immense potential. It’s a low risk, high reward proposition for this franchise.
1. Aaron Rodgers:
We have maintained from day one that the big fish at quarterback for the Steelers is Aaron Rogers. He has been number one on our Steelers wishlist at quarterback since day one. This is a player who instantly opens up a Super Bowl window for this franchise. Rodgers makes the offense far better all on his own. A few tweaks to the offensive line, and one more playmaker, and this is a Super Bowl contender. It would take some creative salary cap manipulation, but this is nothing new for the Steelers. They have been adept at this for years dealing with the Roethlisberger contract. If there’s a perfect world for Steelers Sanctuary, that world has Aaron Rodgers as the Steelers quarterback for the next few seasons.