This offseason, the quarterback position has seen some significant adjustments for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As part of their first round of layoffs this year, they let Mitch Trubisky go. Mason Rudolph departed to join the Tennessee Titans as a backup. To the Philadelphia Eagles, they dealt Kenny Pickett.
Although the QBs from the Steelers’ roster from the previous season will not be returning, they have done a decent job of replacing them.
They acquired Justin Fields as a reliable backup after signing Russell Wilson to start for them.
They still have one space available at that position on the depth chart to occupy.
Due to the abundance of veteran talent on the depth chart, it appears like the Steelers may be trying to fill the final spot with a rookie. A veteran held that position the previous season.
A late-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft should have one prospect at the position that they are already evaluating.
The Steelers dispatched their quarterback coach to scout South Alabama quarterback Carter Bradley during his Pro Day, according to Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy.
Bradley’s Victory in South Alabama
Bradley’s collegiate football career took some time to really take off.
Although he started at Toledo, he never became the team’s primary quarterback. Bradley never threw for a thousand yards in his four seasons with the Rockets, and his highest passing attempt total in a season was 130.
He transferred to South Alabama for his fifth year as a result of that. He immediately had an effect on the Jaguars.
He passed for 3335 yards and 28 touchdowns in his debut season at South Alabama, helping the Jaguars to a 10-3 record and a trip to the New Orleans Bowl. Before he came, they had only won five games in the previous year.
He had another strong season at South Alabama in his second year there. Leading the club to another bowl game berth, he improved his completion percentage to 67.8% and threw five fewer interceptions.
Bradley made an impression on his Pro Day even though he wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine.
He displayed impressive arm strength and athleticism. His stature should make him a compelling choice for a team trying to select a quarterback late in the draft to try and develop.
For the Steelers, a late-round quarterback makes sense
Among the clubs that should be considering QB prospects later in the draft that they believe have some potential are the Steelers.
Their current schedule is for the 2024 season.
They possess not one, but two quarterbacks who could start for them and provide an upgrade over what they had in 2023.
After 2024, things start to become a little unclear.
Wilson has a one-year contract, and it has already been reported that Fields’ fifth-year option is not anticipated to be picked up by the team, meaning Fields’ contract is only guaranteed through 2024.
It’s likely that the team will extend one of them, but not both.
That implies that, at most, they’ll still be searching for a backup the following season.
They might have to seek out a whole new group of quarterbacks if things don’t work out this season.
It’s rare to discover a good quarterback this late in the draft, but it appears to be occurring more frequently these days.
Brock Purdy is undoubtedly a major outlier in this regard. But he’s not the only one, either.
Two years ago, the Commanders selected Sam Howell in the fifth round, and in just his second season, he nearly amassed 4000 yards of passing yardage.
Undrafted, Tyson Bagent started as a rookie in Chicago as the backup quarterback.
Picked in the fifth round, Mike White has established a respectable career for himself as a backup.
A fifth-round pick, Gardner Minshew recently inked a big deal to join the Raiders.
The Steelers will require choices for their future at quarterback, regardless of how 2024 turns out for them.
Even though they might not find the solution until the conclusion of the draft, they ought to try, if only to give themselves a chance to escape becoming the same mess they were in the previous two seasons.
Although they don’t have to start with Bradley, they ought to start considering their possibilities for the future at the end of the draft.
In the worst case scenario, they toss away a late-round pick that is virtually a dart throw. If it works well, they might discover someone who can eventually challenge them for their starting position or a stable backup they retain for a time.
