PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – This is not something that should shock anyone that has watched this team, but more of an understanding that Steelers President Art Rooney II agrees the top priority for the 2025 season is the quarterback position.
He said it numerous times on Monday in his season-ending gathering with Steelers beat reporters at the team facility on the South Side.
Rooney does believe Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are 'capable' of being starting NFL quarterbacks and each showed promise this year. He would like to sign one of them. Rooney did admit age is a factor in the decision and does not believe both will be back next season.
"I think that will give us the best opportunity to move forward," Rooney said of bringing back a QB from this past season.
He added he was impressed with how Fields handled the situation, winning four of the first six games only to be benched, with the mindset of someone who wants to improve and that's someone they can 'potentially' work with in the future.
There are other routes, Rooney said they will look at the draft, either this year or next, as they have a whole quarterback room to fill. He would prefer the next quarterback be signed for more than one year, but they will have to see how the offseason plays out.
The Steelers President said the organization isn't alarmed by Kenny Pickett not working out as a first-round pick. He doesn't look at it like a lesson to be learned, rather they just have to make sure they do a better job of evaluation going forward.
If Rooney did give an idea as to what they might do, it was that he thought it was tough for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to have his two top quarterbacks play such different styles. He said it's important to go into 2025 with two quarterbacks that can run the same system.
That doesn't necessarily mean a pair of running quarterbacks.
"Your quarterback has to be able to read the defense and get the team in a play that is good against the defense he's looking at," Rooney said. "And I think the matter, whether he's mobile or not, you know that's got to be what you start with."
While you might think watching the postseason and the number of mobile quarterbacks having success would precipitate a change, it actually may have emboldened his beliefs.
"It's interesting that we have two teams in the Super Bowl with such different styles," Rooney said. "I think it shows you can win with more than one approach."
"I think the bottom line is you've got to try and win with the talent you have in the building. And they have sort of two different kinds of talent in their buildings. We've got to build on the strengths that we can put together in our room. I still think that running the ball is a route to success, particularly when you're playing in the north and outside."
We'll see if that turns into a quarterback being a part of that rushing attack.
Rooney's inbox is full of suggestions. He's aware of the need to get to the next level they have to find a quarterback. What we might see is that the skillsets of that next quarterback may not look much different than what we've seen in the last few years or even decades.
