The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in familiar territory regarding the most important position on the field: quarterback. Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky are currently the only quarterbacks on the roster as Mason Rudolph is set to hit free agency in March. With Trubisky being a prime candidate to be cut as a possible cap casualty, the Steelers are lacking current options to compete with Pickett for the starting job. General Manager Omar Khan has some work to do, and Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote about his thoughts on what the team may do.
Steelers Need To Find Quarterback Depth
Fittipaldo raised a fair point discussing when a potential quarterback pick could come during the 2024 NFL Draft from April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan.
“It appears the Steelers will need to add one and maybe two quarterbacks to the mix this spring. One of them could come through the draft, although spending an early pick on a quarterback doesn’t seem plausible given their draft position and the other positions where they need more immediate help. Taking one on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft is more reasonable.”
It would probably be wise of the Steelers to wait until the later stages of the draft to select a quarterback. At pick 20, the Steelers seem to be out of range to select a day one difference-maker at the position in round one. Fittipaldo went on to discuss an interesting yet volatile prospect: Spencer Rattler.
A Fast Start For A Prized Prospect
Rattler was a prized 5-star prospect in the class of 2019 from Arizona. He was even named the number one recruit in the entire nation in his class. Rattler redshirted his freshman year and then won the starting job at the University of Oklahoma. In 2020, Rattler had a breakout season under the watch of now-USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley. Rattler passed for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns with another 6 touchdowns on the ground. He was named Co-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Big 12. He was discussed as a prime Heisman Trophy candidate for 2021 and potentially a first-round pick that same year.
2021 did not go as planned for Rattler, however. He only threw for 1,483 yards and 11 touchdowns in 9 games and lost his starting job to Caleb Williams. We all know how great Williams is now, as he is projected to be the first overall pick of this year’s draft. Following the 2021 season, Riely and Williams departed Oklahoma for USC, and Rattler was left defeated. He decided to enter the transfer portal.
A Fresh Start
Rattler landed on his feet at the University of South Carolina. He’s rebuilt his reputation to an extent, although he is not projected in the first round. Rattler threw for at least 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns in both seasons for the Gamecocks. Those numbers may not turn heads, but you need to consider Rattler was facing SEC defenses every week and was not on the most loaded roster in the conference. He also does not lack confidence.
“I think, being a quarterback, you’re going to see adversity at some point in your career, and I’m happy I got to experience that early in college,” Rattler said. “Being in three different systems and two big-time conferences helps a lot. I feel like I’m ahead of the curve. I still have a lot of work to do. I never want to get complacent, but I’m confident in where I’m headed.”
He does raise a fair point: seeing multiple systems in college may have prepared him to learn another one at the next level quickly. We will see where Rattler is projected by the end of this draft cycle, but he is an interesting prospect who may fall into the Steelers’ lap in the later rounds.
