The Pittsburgh Steelers could find themselves caught in the middle in the quarterback market this offseason.
Big-named signal callers such as Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson will be an upgrade over Kenny Pickett. However, the Steelers are searching for competition for Pickett, not a veteran who will automatically send him to the bench.
Other free agent options, though, such as Tyrod Taylor and Marcus Mariota may not be much competition at all.
Veteran Ryan Tannehill is one free agency quarterback who might challenge Pickett but not push for the starting position.
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report suggested that the Steelers could think about signing Tannehill and re-sign Mason Rudolph.
“To push Pickett for the job, Pittsburgh should consider signing Ryan Tannehill to push Mitch Trubisky, who struggled in spot starts this past season,” stated Moton. “Pittsburgh should re-sign Rudolph.”
Moton suggested the Steelers should sign either Drew Lock or Jacoby Brissett in addition to Tannehill.
Before the 2020 season, Tannehill inked a four-year, $118 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.
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’s more accomplished in the league. Tannehill has started 151 NFL games, posting an 81-70 record. He’s averaged 7.3 yards per attempt with a 64.3% completion percentage, 216 touchdowns and 115 interceptions.
He’s also won two playoff games in his career.
In the NFL, Tannehill might still start games. He thus becomes Pickett’s rival. In the near term, Tannehill might be a respectable starting option behind center if he outperformed Pickett in the preseason.
However, Tannehill would likely be a good fit as Pickett’s backup as well, especially considering his age and the fact that he lost his starting position this past season.
In 2019, Tannehill had his finest statistical season as the Titans’ backup quarterback at the start of the season. For the final ten games, he took Mariota’s spot, helping the Titans win 7-3. Despite only having six interceptions, he completed 22 touchdown passes at an average of 9.6 yards per pass.
Tannehill guided the Titans to the AFC title game during the postseason.
Could the Steelers Sign Tannehill & Mason Rudolph?
Moton listed several interesting free agent quarterback options for the Steelers. But his most intriguing suggestion was the idea that Pittsburgh could sign a quarterback such as Tannehill after bringing back Rudolph.
Rudolph is set to be a free agent, but head coach Mike Tomlin expressed that the organization would like for him to return in 2024.
The Steelers also still have Mitch Trubisky under contract. However, it would be very surprising if Pittsburgh doesn’t cut Trubisky.
But even without Trubisky, the quarterback room might be congested with two seasoned players in Pickett and Trubisky.
Having more depth is typically advantageous. In late December, the team had Rudolph as an option thanks to Pittsburgh’s depth behind center.
However, it could also be argued that if the Steelers had only Rudolph as their backup quarterback rather than both signal callers, Rudolph may have taken the field sooner rather than Trubisky.
Given that one of them would likely be the Steelers’ backup quarterback in case of injury, it’s also worthwhile to consider whether Rudolph and Tannehill would be interested in joining the team together. In 2024, both will probably get a chance to contend for a backup position, at the very least.
