incase you haven’t heard yet, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended with their loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
A season that began with the fate of Kenny Pickett’s development tied to the development of Kenny Pickett ended with Mason Rudolph winning three straight games and advancing the Steelers to the postseason.
Injuries at key positions ultimately caused problems for the Steelers.
Inside linebackers Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander were sidelined with season-ending injuries after general manager Omar Khan did a good job of signing better players at the position.
Elandon Roberts played some inspired ball despite not being 100% in the final quarter of the season.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was injured and sat out last month before returning for playoff play.
T.J.
Watt had another great season, but was injured in the final game of the regular season that year and missed the loss to Buffalo.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go well for the Steelers this season.
The NFL playoffs will continue without the Steelers, as they enter the offseason without a playoff win for the seventh straight season.
Here are some thoughts on the season and some decisions that need to be made going forward.
Mitch Trubisky likely played his last game in Pittsburgh.
He probably won’t have a role at all in the quarterback equation next season.
Kenny Pickett still has two years guaranteed before having to make a decision on his fifth-year option.
Mason Rudolph is close to becoming a free agent.
In case you haven’t heard yet, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended with their loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
A season that began with the fate of Kenny Pickett’s development tied to the development of Kenny Pickett ended with Mason Rudolph winning three straight games and advancing the Steelers to the postseason.
Injuries at key positions ultimately caused problems for the Steelers.
Inside linebackers Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander were sidelined with season-ending injuries after general manager Omar Khan did a good job of signing better players at the position.
Elandon Roberts played some inspired ball despite not being 100% in the final quarter of the season.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was injured and sat out last month before returning for playoff play.
T.J.
Watt had another great season, but was injured in the final game of the regular season that year and missed the loss to Buffalo.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go well for the Steelers this season.
The NFL playoffs will continue without the Steelers, as they enter the offseason without a playoff win for the seventh straight season.
Here are some thoughts on the season and some decisions that need to be made going forward.
Mitch Trubisky likely played his last game in Pittsburgh.
He probably won’t have a role at all in the quarterback equation next season.
Kenny Pickett still has two years guaranteed before having to make a decision on his fifth-year option.
Mason Rudolph is close to becoming a free agent.
It seems like it would make sense for the organization to fire Trubisky and give some of the money to Rudolph.
Rudolph probably wants a fair chance to be the team’s starter next year, and he’s not going to play for a dime after proving he can be a capable NFL quarterback.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be in the best interest of the Steelers to have Rudolph and Pickett competing in training camp in 2024.
While Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, C.J.
Stroud and several other top quarterbacks are spending their days in the AFC, neither Rudolph nor Pickett are overhyping the Steelers.
Finding a true quarterback for a franchise is easier said than done, but having an intermediate player between the two is pretty good, at least for a team that could be a true quarterback rather than an AFC contender.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be in the best interest of the Steelers to have Rudolph and Pickett competing in training camp in 2024.
While Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, C.J.
Stroud and several other top quarterbacks are spending their days in the AFC, neither Rudolph nor Pickett are overhyping the Steelers.
Finding a true quarterback for a franchise is easier said than done, but having an intermediate player between the two is pretty good, at least for a team that could be a true quarterback rather than an AFC contender.
Seems like a terrible idea.
Maybe the quarterback situation isn’t ideal.
Quarterback play is key, and while it will ultimately weed out the favorites and champions, it’s safe to say that the Steelers are a big part of the roster at this point.
think.
The running game flourished as Mike Tomlin began splitting runs between Najee Harris and Jalen Warren.
George Pickens and Diontae Johnson are both talented wideouts who could blossom even further if they find a good third addition.
Pat Freiermuth can be a weapon if used correctly.
The offensive line other than Mason Cole is playing very well, and Broderick Jones could play a key role.
Most of the Steelers’ salary cap depends on their defense, and for good reason.
Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Watt, and Fitzpatrick all signed long-term deals in recent seasons.
They are all high-level players.
Joey Porter Jr.
and Keanu Benton played key roles in their rookie seasons, a huge improvement for a team that typically adds rookies late.
Inside linebacker would have been a much more productive position were it not for the aforementioned injury threat.
