The Steelers are in a terrible spot at quarterback. They desperately need to select Ben Roethlisberger's replacement, and yet, are not in position to draft him. When the Steelers get on the clock in the first round, all of the top quarterbacks will almost certainly be gone. That means they'll be left with Davis Mills or Kyle Trask.
In other words, Mason Rudolph 2.0.
Given Roethlisberger's late-season slide, there's always been speculation attaching the Steelers to this year's class of quarterbacks. But they've been relegated to the second tier of names. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the top five passers — Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance — should all be off the board.
On Tuesday, Andrew Fillipponi tweeted the Steelers actually have Trask rated ahead of at least one of those quarterbacks, which might just be a testament to the power of the human mind. It can talk people into anything.
It doesn't take that much brainpower to figure out Roethlisberger is at the end of his career. The 39-year-old played horribly last December, posting an 81.9 QB rating and throwing five interceptions in five games. He tossed four picks in their embarrassing playoff loss to Cleveland.
Along the way, Roethlisberger denied reports about his ailing knee, though he certainly played like somebody who wasn't at 100 percent. CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora told Poni & Mueller Tuesday he thinks this will be Roethlisberger's last season.
"This is the last stand at the O.K. Corral," La Canfora said.
If that's true, the question about Roethlisberger's heir apparent becomes even more pressing. It wouldn't appear to be anybody on the roster, though La Canfora says some in the organization are still basking in Rudolph's brief stretch of competence from early 2019.
"They are uncertain of who that heir apparent is," he said. "There are people in that building who would still love for it to be Mason Rudolph, who wouldn't concede that there's no way it's not Mason Rudolph. You also have very few people who are going to say, 'I will stake my reputation that it is Mason Rudolph.'"
So people within the Steelers like Rudolph, but only on the down low. That sounds like a dating app hookup — not the way to select your next franchise quarterback.
Mike Tomlin made it a point to pump up Dwayne Haskins Monday, talking about his excitement to work with the 2019 first-round pick. But Haskins was so bad last year, Washington released him prior to its must-win game in Week 17, following an egregious violation of COVID-19 protocols. He was also stripped of his captainship.
For the Steelers, Roethlisberger returning for one more run in 2021 was the best of multiple unpalatable scenarios. But it's far from any precursor to a Super Bowl run. This roster is more flawed than it was last year, with holes on both sides of the ball.
Given their needs at running back, offensive line, linebacker and cornerback, the Steelers can't afford to spend a Day Two pick on a long-shot quarterback. They're better off going with positions where talent runs deeper.
That's how the Steelers find themselves on the eve of the 2021 NFL Draft: hopeless and hobbled at the most important position in sports. The plan behind Roethlisberger right now is bubble game and duct tape — hopefully they don't use it all on him.
