A Letter From the Editor: Were the Steelers caught off guard?
The first week of NFL Free Agency is in the books, and it has been eventful for the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base. Maybe eventful isn’t the right word. Maybe just interesting is the best way to describe it.
If you remove the trade between the Steelers and Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver DK Metcalf, the team has lost well more than they’ve gained in the new league year. Now, don’t get this twisted, the vast majority of Steelers free agents from 2024 I did not want back, nor did I expect them back in 2025.
However, the moves that weren’t made do often times make you wonder if the team’s plan for free agency wasn’t thrown off kilter at different times.
As it pertains to the plan in place not going as expected, there is no position where this comes into play more than at quarterback.
Heading into free agency the Steelers knew the options which would be available, and they also know what they wanted to spend at the position. These two things typically don’t mesh, and it eliminates other quarterbacks who might be asking for a price the Steelers just aren’t willing to pay at the position.
The team not willing to pay top dollar for a quarterback isn’t a systemic issue, but a 2025 offseason issue. The Steelers simply didn’t feel the likes of Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and even Russell Wilson were worth the money many thought they would be requesting on the open market.
With limited options at the position, you can’t convince me the Steelers didn’t just want Justin Fields to be their quarterback in 2025, but for 2026 as well. To be honest, I know for a fact, coming from our source inside the organization, the Steelers were hoping to retain Fields as their quarterback.
And then they didn’t.
When Fields chose the extra $10 million dollars in guaranteed money, which I don’t blame him for doing so, the Steelers certainly looked like they were caught off guard. Could they have matched the amount posed by the Jets? They could, but recall the part about the mesh point between cost and value at the position.
As the quarterback dominos started to fall, the Steelers looked less and less prepared for what might happen if Fields didn’t choose the Steelers in 2025. With Fields choosing the Jets, Sam Darnold chose the Minnesota Vikings, Daniel Jones chose the Indianapolis Colts, and even back-up options being claimed off the open market the Steelers felt like they were one of just a couple teams who are staring at open chairs with music coming to a stop in the game musical chairs.
The Steelers, along with the entire NFL, knew the Jets were going to release Aaron Rodgers when the new league year started, but was he really Plan B if Fields didn’t sign? Going back to the conversation I had with our source, the Steelers wanted Fields, but were willing to go after Darnold, Wilson and Rodgers if things didn’t pan out with Fields.
Darnold is now in Seattle, it seems the bridge was burnt with Wilson, and Rodgers is taking his sweet time making a decision on his future in 2025.
Was the signing of Mason Rudolph a desperation move? Was Rudolph an insurance policy which might have to be utilized in 2025?
The longer this league year goes and the Steelers wait for Rodgers to make a decision, it seems like the team wasn’t prepared for things not to go their way at the most important position on the roster. They weren’t prepared for someone to choose elsewhere, even when the organization gave the player what they originally desired contractually.
To bring this full circle, I absolutely feel like the Steelers were caught off guard. Dare I say, caught with their pants down. Will they be able to save face? It’s not impossible, but it certainly doesn’t seem like a high probability at this juncture. Maybe this is what the organization needs to have happen, a gut check offseason. It will be a tough sell for players like T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward, but that’s an article for another time…
Frustrating is the primary word I would use to describe my feelings by midweek (Wednesday/Thursday). But, I’ll be honest, when we signed Mason, it relieved much of my stress and frustration. Not that I think he’s the one. But because I believe he may ne and could be as solid a bridge until the team actually finds “the one”.
NOTE: I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again — I am an original voting member of the Mason Rudolph Fan Club.
Yeah, frustrated is about right, with twinges of “why do I still care about this?”
There are two views, one short term and one much longer, that bother me.
They sign Fields and Wilson, start Fields because of injury, switch to Wilson despite a 4-2 start, clip Wilson’s wings over changing plays at tbe line after the best offensive performance the team has had in years, and the blame Wilson when sticking with what the coaching staff plans and calls is a dramatic flop..
At the end of the season they write Wilson off and say they prefer Fields . . . but only at their price. Then they suddenly open the vault for Aaron Rodgers and submit to being held hostage.
Is there really a plan? Because it seems like they’re wandering around without one.
Then there’s the long term. Six straight embarrassments in the first round of the playoffs. Despite three different offensive coordinators and a parade of different quarterbacks, the Steelers come out over and over again looking exactly the same, with turtled offensive play calling and vanilla defense, refusing to show any aggressive tactics on either side of the ball until they’re down by two touchdowns.
This franchise has been treading water now for more than half a decade.
I get the cost and perceived value and how that works but where is the team at now. Still searching, and that’s even with Mason signed. They wanted Justin Fields back but wasn’t willing to at least match the Jets offer and despite what some may believe the QB situation has been handled piss poorly since #7 retired. Most knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy fix but it feels like they are making it more difficult than it has to be. They are willing to pay Aaron Rodgers who is 90….just kidding, a reported asking price of 45 million a year. But wouldn’t pay a guy that has been in the room, a guy who is reported to be liked by the current OC……and that should have had barring on the equation.
I truly have no idea if they know what the heck they are doing a QB. Is there a long term plan? Or is just about keeping the team afloat……..and no I won’t mention the Tomlin Trophy…oops, hoping a Ben Roethlisberger falls into their laps. Thanks Mr. Rooney for realizing that Ben was to good to pass on. But really, what are they doing? Signing Rodgers at this point seems to go against what appears to be a roll over of cap space by not signing any of the top FA at IDL or CB. There appears to be a goal of hoarding compensation picks by the signings and what some of their own free agents have gotten. Did not see Dan Moore Jr getting that contract. Good for him though and there’s a good possibility that Callahan can improve his development.
Just ride with Mason. I mean we have the great Mike Tomlin who can turn a PBR into one of those fancy crafted beers. I would rather have Mason and I’m not pretending he is the answer to the question at hand but he throws a pretty good deep ball…. so that eliminates the single trait of Wilson that everyone clamors about. Rodgers is going to eat a huge chunk of the cap space they appeared to want to roll over and for what to just finish above .500 to keep us just out the reach of that possible franchise guy in 2026. For me it in 2025 it was go all in or blow it up. The Steelers seem to still be stuck somewhere in the middle which is about right.
Go Steelers and Go Mason
Keep up the great work guys. I have a feeling I will be around these parts more often and I may have company coming. I have to get through my draft groups live draft first before that happens though. I still have a second round pick but does Omar and Weidl
PB56, I absolutely concur about a couple of your key points (as I read them). I DO believe they had a hard cap number they weren’t willing to exceed to re-sign Fields. Once the Jets blew through it, and none of the other potential top QB targets were available to them for a price they are willing to spend, it feels like their fall back plan was to sign Mason as they know what he can give them and it’s not horrible. And I agree that even as a huge fan of MR, he likely isn’t the long-term answer. But he’s also not a “we’re gonna tank for Archie without obviously tanking for Archie” QB. With his particular strengths, I think he wins us a number of games (8? 9?) at QB. What would absolutely say, “what the hell are we doing here” to me is IF they go ahead and sign Rodgers. That is idiotic in my eyes at this point. I say, draft a developmental guy that fits what they want, have Mason start (unless of course he legitimately gets beat out for the job), and initiate a plan for next year to bundle all these comp picks to move up to grab your guy if it all goes to sh*t.
There’s another part to my rant in Dave’s piece that I hope some one can answer. I understand having a hard cap even though I think you have to be flexible. Other wise you end up chasing your tail. Please take a look at that comment in the other article. I think they have botched the QB situation from all the way back when they drafted Mason in the 3rd round.
I responded to that comment, but I did so prior to reading this response.
Based on this comment though I can agree that I believe they have made a mess of (or botched) the transition from Ben to whoever. As far as Mason, I have always contended — and in fact may be what originally ignited my ‘underdog’ defense/belief of and in him — that the organization did dang near nothing to support him. If they did in fact have a 1st round grade on him, why did they never offer an appropriate support system to demonstrate that? They had a franchise QB that had no interest in supporting his growth (and I’m a huge Ben fan, but that was pathetic from his first comments on). Heck, the Steelers didn’t have a QB coach his rookie year! Good Lord! That was an awful way to handle the QB from that point for sure.
Beyond that, I also agree that they have seemed to bumble along since then. I say, make a plan and execute it. Maybe they finally are after being spurned by Fields. And no, I’m not talking about signing Mason thinking he’s the one. I believe he is seen as a safe option by them and they are setting themselves up for a big QB grab in the 2026 draft. That’s what it “feels like” to me. At least it’s a plan.
I agree about the handling of Mason and not having that support around him in terms of staff such as a QB coach.
Confidently fumbling the Fields contract is not a good look, and being held hostage by Rodgers is what you get for not having a plan B. However; for a guy that seemed to want to “test the market” he sure jumped on an offer from the Jets pretty quickly. Fields’ choice tells me he was not planning to stay and was going take just about any offer he got. I don’t blame him, it was obvious he was never really going to be given a fair chance at being the future here. He got more money with a clean slate, and got to return a sucker punch to the Steelers in the process, so good on you Justin. You’re still gonna be the Jets QB though…
I can’t help but feel like they’d have made a play for a DL had they known how much cap their QB position was going to eat. I just hope they don’t make this QB mistake worse by making the bigger way too expensive mistake that is Rodgers. I’d like to see them tell Rodgers they need a decision by 5pm today or their offer is retracted. Go grab another QB for cheap, I can’t believe I’m about to type this, but Wentz would probably be under 4M, you’d have two vets, and cap remaining. Take a chance and draft a guy…buuut what happens if Sanders is there??? At this point, and I can’t believe I’m about to type this either, I think I’d take him.
This is so YES. At the end of the day, I don’t blame Justin either, but that’s a hell of a rough consolation prize! Yikes.
As far as Rodgers, if I were making the decision, I would call him and say, “Sorry, but we forget to mention that our offer expired yesterday at 5 PM. My bad…” And I don’t think I could see myself pulling the trigger of any QB at 21. THAT would feel even slightly more desperate to me than chasing after the elder citizen Rodgers. Wait until next year. We currently have plenty of projected capital for the 2026 draft to make a move on what is purported to be a MUCH better QB group.
Cooper Rush sounds intriguing to me. I like what little I’ve seen of him. Feel like he could be a 1B to Rudolph us 1A.
Still would draft a developmental QB in 4th round after taking DL one rd. 1 and RB in rd. 3. Sure would be nice to have a 2nd rd. Pick this year.
Cooper Rush just signed with the Ravens for 2 yrs and 12.5 mil. It must be nice to have an awesome front office.
Going into the off season my hopes were pinned on run-defense and run offense. Those two deficiencies put a knot in my gut at the end of the year.
I was all in on Fields, but not because I saw him as “The Answer”. I’m a Steeler fan. M.J. Green was “The Answer”. Troy was “The Answer”. Selling Rodgers to our fanbase is going to be a heavy lift. Just check the relief shown on this site as a sample after the Rudolph signing.
Final thought…Rudolph made his bones in college throwing to a combat catcher
Right on. On ALL counts!