We saw a seismic shift in the NFL quarterback position a year ago. Big names and party players entered a game of grenades in which virtually every freelancer quarterback called home a new town. This, coupled with some big rookies making an immediate impact, and the quarterback position had remained unrecognizable from the year before.
Enter 2021. We’ve already been hit by a massive deal that will insure last year’s carousel aftershock and score higher on the Richter scale. With some big players firmly on the trade block, more free agents, and 4-5 quarterbacks to go into the first round of the NFL Draft, the league will reset its quarterback position again.
After Steelers President Art Rooney II’s comments about the Steelers not done looking for a quarterback, this exercise is 100% team-related and we’ll get into what’s possible. Let’s take a look at three categories:
Available quarterbacks
Teams looking for a QB
How It Compares to the Pittsburgh Steelers
This will be a trading market like no other. We have already seen that Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff were treated with new teams well before the start of the new competition year. Here are some of the other names on the trading bloc and teams rumored to be of interest
Deshaun Watson – Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and many others
Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay has said he is not available but would be interested in the whole league
Matt Ryan – San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo – New England Patriots
Kirk Cousins - San Francisco 49ers
Carson Wentz – Indianapolis Colts
Sam Darnold -?
Gardner Minchew -?
Free agency does not offer the same big names as a year ago. However, there are some development, spot starters, and backup options available that teams will use to fill out their rosters.
Dak Prescott – Franchise tag, Dallas Cowboys
Jameis Winston – New Orleans Saints
Ryan Fitzpatrick -?
Mitch Trubisky -?
Andy Dalton -?
Tyrod Taylor -?
Cam Newton -?
Jacoby Brissett – Indianapolis Colts
There are a number of other freelancers out there, but none have a realistic chance of starting a competition in 2021. As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it seems extremely unlikely anyone will get any starting ability.
There are four or five clear picks for the first round in the 2021 NFL Draft. Where they are going is a direct reflection of how the above names fall into place leading up to the design. We know Trevor Lawrence is a virtual slot to be the first choice for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After that it is a virtual throw. At the moment, here are the other five possible candidates for the first round and an estimate of the choices between which they could be drafted – based on mock draft positioning.
Zach Wilson – 2-9
Justin Fields – 2-15
Trey Lance – 3-19
Mac Jones – 15-Early 2nd Round
Kyle Trask – 29th Round
At this point, you could expect more than half of the league to roll out a different starting quarterback than what they had in 2020. With an uncertain salary cap and a number of senior veterans leaving the competition, everything can and will be different. . Below is a list of teams (based on draft assignment) that will be serious in the QB market.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence will soon be fed up with them, but they should also be looking for an experienced backup.
New York Jets – They could draft a QB, they could trade for it, or as new head coach Robert Salah has stated, they could roll with Sam Darnold for another season.
Houston Texans – Deshaun Waston will be traded with all the picks they acquire, chasing their next quarterback.
Detroit Lions – They spend a lot of money on Jared Goff, I think it’s too early to find a replacement. The design is quite possible.
Carolina Panthers – Teddy Bridgewater is not the future of this team. They offered the 8th overall pick to the Lions for Matthew Stafford.
Denver Broncos – The Broncos won’t be sold on Drew Lock, but it might get another year.
San Francisco 49ers – Sounds like a trade for San Fran.
Minnesota Vikings – If they trade Kirk Cousins, they’ll play in the draft.
New England Patriots – Cam Newton is already out. They may be looking for a familiar face.
Washington Football Team – They don’t have a long-term answer to the list just yet.
Chicago Bears – It’s doubtful going back to Mitch Trubisky, trade or free service makes the most sense.
Indianapolis Colts – Rivers is out and they couldn’t land Matthew Stafford. Can they lure Andrew Luck out of retirement?
New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees should officially retire in the coming weeks. Who’s taking over?
The Steelers are looking for someone to help the future of this team, and we know this is a fact. They don’t have the money to add a free agent, and unless Ben Roethlisberger retires or gets cut, they won’t trade for anyone either.
So I see this coming out in one of four ways:
- They’re putting someone at 24, probably Mac Jones.
- They trade against Trey Lance.
- They draft someone in the second round or later and try to develop them.
- They will sign someone in free agency in 2022.
We know the Steelers don’t like getting into rookies right away. So if they refrain from drafting one in 2021, I’m pretty confident they’ll be chasing someone in 2022 free agency. With a ton of money coming off the books after this season, and with the likelihood that 2021 will be Dak Prescott’s final season in Dallas, I think this would be one road the team would want to explore. This would also be a very risky game, the team would essentially put all their chips in one basket and be hopeful that Prescott is not affected by other suitors.
The smartest game going forward is to be aggressive and get a quarterback in this year’s draft, but if the Steelers are all in one more time with Ben Roethlisberger below center, they could leave the future to chance.
If the Steelers really want one of these best quarterback prospects, the best that can happen is when all these big name veterans land on teams that make it into the top half of the draft. Also, teams like the Jets and Broncos who decide to give their current starters one more year to prove it would be ideal. We know guys like Justin Fields and Zach Wilson are gone long before the Steelers even have a chance to trade for either one, but I see Trey Lance as the best match for this team anyway. If Lance gets past the Broncos (pick # 9), the Steelers have a legitimate chance to make a move. Plus, if the 49ers settle for Garoppolo or add another quarterback, the Steelers should really only have to worry about getting past New England.
It takes some luck, and a Steelers team willing to take the step, but they can get the future of the franchise here and now. The biggest thing that Lance needs is experience, and with Ben Roethlisberger coming back for another season, the Steelers can provide that, as well as a clear route to becoming a starting quarterback in 2022.
What do you think? How will the chips fall and what will the Steelers do during the off-season quarterback? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.