Since the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Arthur Smith to be their next offensive coordinator, Ryan Tannehill has been frequently linked with the team.
It is expected that Tannehill would be signed by the Steelers to back up Kenny Pickett if they choose to sign him instead of going after one of the bigger stars available this offseason.
Maybe if he is truly brought in, that won’t be the way things remain.
“This isn’t an anti-Kenny Pickett take, but it is an acknowledgement that the Steelers have some pressure to perform, they play in a tough division and were aggressive in pursuing Arthur Smith when Smith was let go by the Atlanta Falcons. Mason Rudolph is a pending free agent, and while he may end up possessing a higher upside than Tannehill, the Steelers could find some Tommy Maddox-style magic in the arm of the former first-round pick.”
Pressure on Pickett
Orr mentioned pressure on the Steelers to perform and Pickett will absolutely be feeling that pressure in 2024.
Since the team selected Pickett 20th overall in 2022 to replace Ben Roethlisberger as the organization’s franchise quarterback, the young QB has struggled.
Pickett has a winning record as a starting QB in the NFL, but his performances have left a lot to be desired.
Through the first two seasons of his career, he has averaged 179 passing yards per game and has a touchdown to interception ratio of 1:1.
His troubles were mostly attributed to Matt Canada, the former offensive coordinator. Since Canada is no longer there, nobody will be held accountable if Pickett fails to improve.
He will have one more opportunity to establish himself as the team’s starting quarterback. In 2024, if he doesn’t make significant progress, the Steelers may end up starting a backup quarterback for the second straight season.
Perhaps the quarterback in 2024 will have some past interactions with the offensive coordinator of the team.
How Tannehill Fits With the Steelers
The big advantage that Tannehill has over other QBs the Steelers could look at this offseason is his familiarity with the offense they’ll be running.
It happens to be the offense he played in for the best seasons of his NFL career.
In two seasons with Smith as his OC, Tannehill threw for 6561 yards and 55 touchdowns in 28 games. He even earned a Pro Bowl nod in one of those seasons.
Tannehill posted a record of 18-8 as a starter while playing for Smith.
He had a lot of success in the Titans’ run-first offense that mixed in plenty of play action. That play earned him a $418 million, four-year deal in Tennessee.
Tannehill wouldn’t have to go through a learning curve to take over as the starting quarterback if Pickett falters and the Steelers choose to concede.
Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and the possibility of a new slot receiver joining the team in the offseason make Tannehill’s pass-catching group perhaps the greatest he’s played with in his NFL career.
The former quarterback for the Titans had a difficult 2023 season, and it seems likely that he will not play again, but if he contracts with the Steelers, that may be different.
