Another day, another quarterback floated for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I guess that’s what happens when your Hall of Fame quarterback retires, and your succession plan is Mitch Trubisky and a first-rounder who, in hindsight, hasn’t shown first-round chops.
The quarterback of the day for Monday, Feb. 19, is Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s not the first time he’s been linked to the Steelers, and it won’t be the last. Prior to 2022 free agency, the late John Clayton thought he’d be a solid option for Pittsburgh, and even Ryan Shazier endorsed him.
Now it’s NBC Sports’ Peter King, who’s had a lot of things to say recently about the Steelers quarterback situation.
In today’s Football Morning in America column, he opined about what could be next for the two-time Super Bowl champion following news of the Raiders plan to release him after suspension for PEDs.
“I think Jimmy Garoppolo’s two-game PED suspension throws a wrench into his quarterbacking future, obviously,” King wrote. “And while no one’s going to feel sorry for a guy who, per overthecap.com, has made $148.8 million in a nice but over-valued career, what team will take a shot on him as a starter when he’s on the street this off-season—knowing he’s out for the first two games? Pittsburgh, maybe?”
It’s a good thought, one that most Steelers fans had — even if it was fleeting. But the keyword “starter” should eliminate Pittsburgh as an option. Apparently, the team isn’t interested in a quarterback whose presence makes presumed starter Kenny Pickett feel threatened. That leaves guys like Garoppolo and any other signal-caller who can help the Steelers immediately to other teams with more urgent outlooks.
