Pickett ranked worst first rd QB in last 5 years

When have the Steelers engaged in a multi-season rebuild such as the Bears are just coming out of? Or the Pats exited surprisingly early last season? Or the Dolphins are starting now? The Raiders tried to jumpstart one by selling off Crosby.

I can not remember the last time the Steelers traded a prime player for picks. Or current draft picks for higher future picks.

I don’t remember the Steelers ever short changing the amount of roster and draft assets used in Year X to benefit Year Y. If anything, they’ve engaged in the opposite.

Looking at their history it’s pretty clear they, as an organization, do not believe in rebuilding as other franchises have practiced it.

 

Looking at Justin Fields and Russell Wilson how would you construct an offense helmed by a combination of those two that was more primed for playoff success?

What does a successful playoff offense focused on Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph look like?

what about an offense helmed by old man Rodgers?

I argue that the starting assumption that there is an offense that wins in the playoffs led by any of those QBs is an incorrect one.

 

Disagree on Rodgers.

Rodgers is good enough to win in the playoffs with the correct supporting cast and a proper offensive philosophy. Hell, old, crippled man Manning won in the playoffs and Rodgers is currently a lot better than Manning was in his final season.

For Rodgers to win in the playoffs, he needs a legit weapon opposite a hopefully not suspended DK. And an offensive line that can protect him for more than 1.5 sec.

And I'm not even sure about Rudolph. Has he ever been put into modern offensive system? Maybe even he could succeed.

 

Rodgers has not won a playoff games since 2020.

Rudolph was not good in Tennessee.

 

We are doomed.

 

You are correct. The only path to winning in the playoffs is better play from the QB position.

I just disagree that any of the QBs brought in since Ben were capable of winning a playoff game. I do not believe there was an offensive scheme or roster design available/possible that would have provided the chance for any of those guys to succeed in the playoffs. Doesn't, for me, matter who was coaching.

Change the offensive design, and you most likely do not even make the playoffs. The line between the Steelers with Fields/Wilson and the 2025 Jets is not that large.

 

*patiently awaits response from STD*

 

You can readily divide the Steelers into eras. In most of Ben's career; I am not making the argument that they didn't have enough talent to win things. They just didn't. There are individual reasons why that can be debated and discussed until the heat death of the universe.

Since 2019; they just have not had the talent/performance at the QB position required to be competitive in the playoffs. Further, there was/is no amount of coaching or scheming that would have covered up that deficit enough to change the season long outcome in a positive manner.

As to trading guys, I would've bit the bullet and traded Watt and Heyward long ago. I can totally understand why the did not and have not. But, me, I would have. Likely to my regret.

 

Yeah. i can agree with that.

The Packers as they went from late career Rodgers to Love. Brought in a new coach that mandated that Rodgers play a different style of ball. When Rodgers balked at that after a couple of seasons, they moved on and had Love ready to go.

The Chiefs upgrading from Smith to Mahomes.

The Bills banking on being able to develop Josh Allen and not giving up after it looked pretty bad early on.

Even the Ravens bending their offensive infrastructure to the specific pros and cons of Jackson.

If you want to get out of an NFL rut, you need to do something dramatic. The Steelers do not do dramatic.

 

Begs the question, why would the Steelers sign them then?

And an owner that stays out of football decisions. Watson was all Haslam.

 

In hindsight... they should have NOT signed Fields, Wilson or Rodgers. All 3 together netted the same result... 9-10 wins and annihilation in the wildcard game. It would have been better to sink or swim with Pickett and Skyler Thompson in '24. Rebuild if it sunk, which likely would have happened.... with Cam Ward or whoever in the '25 draft. Steelers keep kicking the can down the road with old QBs who are not going to elevate the offense to compete with the elite teams... Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, Texans, Broncos and now Patriots.