Are the Steelers in a good position to add their QB of the future?

There are a lot of questions when it comes to the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even if Aaron Rodgers were to sign as a free agent before the 2025 NFL draft, it is not believed that the Steelers long-term answer at the quarterback position is currently on the roster.

Because this is the case, there are some that believe the Steelers are going to draft a quarterback at the end of April, with some believing they may even use their first pick in the draft. Whether or not the Steelers go this route we will find out in the next couple of weeks. But are the Steelers in the right place for a young quarterback who is expected to be the future of the franchise to be put in place?

This was a topic that was discussed on the most recent episode of The Scho Bro Show podcast. Are the Steelers ready for a young quarterback whom they hope to develop?

For me, I believe when the Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the 2022 draft, they jumped the gun because their offense was not ready. The offensive line was a bit in shambles because of the loss of Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro. In just a matter of a couple seasons, the Steelers lost those two players along with Alejandro Villanueva and Ramon Foster. They were basically starting over.

This was not a good situation for a young quarterback taken in the first round. There was hardly any veterans on the offense, and the biggest weapon in Diontae Johnson ended up being shipped out of town within the next two seasons due to the Steelers not wanting to deal with him anymore.

I wanto to go on record for being one of many who said the Steelers should not have been worried about their next first-round quarterback yet. I know Shannon White was also a big proponent of the Steelers actually investing in their offensive line in order to give their quarterback a better chance before they brought in that player. This is not the route the Steelers took, and I believe it cost them.

So are the Steelers in a better place now?

I believe they are. After investing heavily in the offensive line over the last two drafts, the Steelers are at a crossroads at the position where 2025 appears to be a “make or break” year for how they will move forward with the unit. If they are above adequate at 60% of their starting positions or more on the offensive line, they can try to upgrade the other 20% ot 40% via free agency or the draft next year as long as they have the majority in place. If it’s not a majority who appear to be the right guys on the line, they’re going to have to reset the position group again.

While I believe the Steelers are in a much better place to have a young quarterback at this time, I think they are actually set up more to potentially be in a better place next season. I think there are a lot of questions as to how this offensive line will perform, and 2025 should be the season to get a lot of of those answers. If the answers are good news, then the Steelers will be ready to take another shot at a young quarterback. If…

I know a lot of fans look at the time between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger as a low time in Steelers history since the NFL merger. The Steelers went more than two decades without a Super Bowl win. But it’s also important to remember that the Steelers went over to decades where they didn’t draft the quarterback in the first round after taking Mark Malone in 1980. They specifically did not take the big shot at the position. The fact that the Steelers have already taken another shot at a first round quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger, and are expected to do so again in the next several years, shows that they’re willing to emphasize the position more than what the Steelers did in the 80s and 90s.

Once again, are the Steelers ready to take their shot at the next franchise quarterback? I think they’re in a better spot when it comes to the pieces around that player. I know some might look at running back now and think that the Steelers aren’t what they were in 2004 when Ben Roethlisberger was drafted. No, the Steelers don’t have a Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker combination. But even if the Steelers don’t add another player in the draft, they do have two players at the position in Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell who fall into the “weapon“ category much more than what the Steelers have utilized in recent years. Although it might not look the same in how they were run the ball, it could still be very effective. Plus, the Steelers very well could add to the running back position in the draft.

While the offense appears to be in a better spot than what it was three years ago when the Steelers used their first round draft pick on a quarterback, they are also finding themselves in a situation where the quarterback market has to actually agree with the Steelers needs. Are the Steelers really in the position with the right potential pieces available to go for it in 2025? Although it might not look that way, we’ll get the real answer in a couple weeks.

Even if the Steelers aren’t able to add their quarterback of the future in the 2025 draft, they can continue to build a stronger offense to when they are able to add that young quarterback at some point it gives them a better opportunity to succeed.

To hear the full discussion about the proper timing for the Steelers to add their next quarterback, check out the most recent edition of The Scho Bro Show podcast below: