Whereas Harmon fills an enormous want on the defensive position, it doesn’t deal with the most important want for the group on a short-term or long-term foundation. That want, clearly, is quarterback.
As of Thursday night time the Steelers’ quarterback room contains solely Mason Rudolph and Skyler Thompson.
They didn’t retain Russell Wilson or Justin Fields from final 12 months’s workforce, missed out on nearly each different free agent or commerce possibility, and for the second offseason in a row are a whole overhaul of their quarterback room.
On a short-term foundation, they proceed to play the ready recreation with free agent Aaron Rodgers. However even when he decides to play this season — and play in Pittsburgh — he’s on the incorrect facet of 40, might not be any good anymore and can be a big distraction because of his off-field presence and character.
On a long-term foundation, they don’t have any actual quarterback prospects on the horizon and don’t also have a second-round decide this season to try to safe one of many quarterbacks that has slid down the draft board after buying and selling it for large receiver DK Metcalf.
Do they nonetheless consider in Rodgers as a one-year stop-gap? Are they setting their sights on a probably deeper 2026 quarterback class, with the draft being held in Pittsburgh?
These are all very lifelike potentialities.
Sanders is way from a certain factor, and there’s a purpose he has fallen down the draft board. He doesn’t possess an elite arm or athleticism, and his greatest strengths are extra intangible (toughness, sensible, accuracy) than game-changing traits. He may not pan out, but when he does, he would have raised the Steelers’ season greater than another place would have.
The Steelers haven’t gained a playoff recreation in eight years regardless of commonly being there, and the dearth of even an above-average quarterback is the most important purpose why. Till they repair that place it doesn’t matter what their defensive position, offensive line or large receiver positions seem like.
