PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Given the big NFL news on Thursday, it would be easy to do exactly what the Steelers can’t do—PANIC TO FIND A QUARTERBACK.
More than ever, the Steelers front office needs to hold their own, look for reasonable options in free agency. The deals Tuesday were mind-blowing.
Seattle gets two first round picks, two second round picks, the Broncos presumed starting quarterback Drew Lock, their starting tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris (6 sacks in 2021) for 33-year-old Russell Wilson.
Aaron Rodgers able to use his off-season talking to become the highest paid player in NFL history with a record four-year extension with the Packers worth $200 million.
This could drive up the prices for what legitimate starters remain. With Rodgers and Wilson out, San Francisco can drive up demand for Jimmy Garoppolo. They reportedly want at least a second to fourth round pick. A frantic general manager may quickly overpay to try and beat the competition. Remember Garoppolo is under contract for over $25 million for 2022 and the Steelers currently $29 million under the cap according to spotrac.com.
Garoppolo will win games for you. He went 9-6 as a starter in 2021 and has an overall record of 33-14. He has a history of injuries though and just had successful shoulder surgery on Wednesday.
He is expected to be ready by training camp, but who knows how the injury will affect him.
When Joe Starkey first discussed getting on the Mitch Trubisky train, the thought was he would cost $3 to $4 million. Some reports now that he could get $10 or more and you may have to sign him to a multi-year contract.
Jameis Winston and Teddy Bridgewater were already going to cost in that range, their price could also escalate.
Here’s some advice for the Steelers that won’t cost anything. See if the price drops on a free agent or see what is available with pick 20 in the draft. Maybe you just spend this season building all around the quarterback position and address it again in 2023.
The worst move would be to freak out this year.
Wednesday moves showed that teams willing to spend a lot and with the top two QBs off the board in free agency, the remaining quarterbacks available will likely demand more than their worth and those without a contract will get more than they deserve.
Almost half of the league is looking for a quarterback so there will be plenty of suitors.