The Pittsburgh Steelers could find themselves in the middle of the quarterback market this offseason.Famous signal callers like Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson are the complement of Kenny Pickett. However, the Steelers are looking for competition for Pickett, not a veteran to automatically send him to the bench.Other free agent options like Tyrod Taylor and Marcus Mariota may not compete much though..
One free agent quarterback who could both compete with Pickett but not claim the starting job is veteran Ryan Tannehill.Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton said the Steelers should re-sign Mason Rudolph and also consider adding Tannehill.”Pittsburgh should cut Mitch Trubisky, who struggled to start last season, re-sign Rudolph and consider signing Ryan Tannehill to push Pickett for the job,” Moton wrote.In addition to Tannehill, Moton also said the Steelers could consider signing Jacoby Brissett or Drew Lock..
Tannehill signed a four-year, $118 million contract with the Tennessee Titans prior to the 2020 season..
How Ryan Tannehill Could Fit With the Steelers
Of the three free agent options Moton mentioned, Tannehill seems to make the most sense.Tannehill turns 36 in July. That makes him significantly older than Brissett and Lock, but he has more success in the league. Tannehill has started 151 NFL games and has a record of 81-70. He averaged 7.3 yards per attempt, 64.3% completion, 216 touchdowns and 115 interceptions..
He also won two playoff games in his career.Tannehill could still be a starter in the NFL. That puts him in competition for Pickett. If he were to play Pickett in the preseason, Tannehill could be a good starting option behind center in the short term.But at his age and because he lost his starting job last season, Tannehill would likely be a good fit as Pickett’s backup..
Tannehill’s best statistical season came in 2019, when he started the year as the Titans’ quarterback. He replaced Mariota in the final 10 games, leading the Titans to a 7–3 record. He threw for 22 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions and averaged 9.6 yards per attempt.In the playoffs, Tannehill led the Titans to the AFC Championship Game..
Could the Steelers Sign Tannehill & Mason Rudolph?
Moton listed several interesting free agent quarterback options for the Steelers. But his most interesting proposition was the idea that Pittsburgh could sign a quarterback like Tannehill after bringing back Rudolph.Rudolph will be a free agent, but head coach Mike Tomlin said the organization wants him back in 2024..
Mitch Trubisky is still under contract with the Steelers. However, it would be very surprising if Pittsburgh didn’t cut Trubisky.Even without Trubisk, the two veteran quarterbacks could make for a crowded quarterback room with Pickett.More depth is usually not a bad thing. Pittsburgh’s depth behind center gave the team the opportunity to select Rudolph at the end of December..
But one could also argue that Rudolph could have started sooner instead of Trubiski if the Steelers only had the former as the team’s backup instead of both signal callers.It’s also worth wondering if Rudolph and Tannehill would be interested in joining the Steelers knowing that one of them will likely be the team’s No. 3 emergency. Both will likely at least have a chance to compete for a backup role in 2024..
