The Steelers enter the 2024 season hoping Kenny Pickett will be the starter, and they’re not looking to add any more names to the group.
Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback position will almost certainly wind up being Kenny Pickett despite some rumblings of a possible trade for Bears quarterback Justin Fields, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on Saturday.
While Pickett appears to be the frontrunner to return to the starting role, Dulac reported there are some who believe Mason Rudolph, who is set to hit free agency, should wind up as the starter after his late-season heroics.
Fields wouldn’t be the only option for the Steelers, should they decide to look externally. Kirk Cousins is a free agent, and many expect Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo to be released by the Broncos and Raiders, respectively. But Dulac reported even beyond Fields, the Steelers “are not interested in bringing in a quarterback who wants to be a starter.”
MORE: Where could Justin Fields be traded?
The Steelers have been mentioned as much if not more than any other team as a possible landing spot for Fields should the Bears decide to move on from the 2021 first-round pick and use the first overall pick in the draft on a quarterback like Caleb Williams.
The rumors certainly appeared to make sense on face value. Though Fields has not lived up to the expectations of the former 11th overall pick, he has at times looked explosive as a runner with a strong arm and has shown glimpses of the first-round talent. The biggest issue, at times, has been a lack of a standout supporting cast.
Pickett has also struggled to live up to the billing of a first-round pick, having gone 20th overall in 2022. Through his first two seasons (25 games), he has 13 touchdowns to 13 interceptions and has completed only 62.6 percent of his passes.
MORE: Breaking down Steelers’ draft picks and which QBs team could trade for
Rudolph’s performance when Pickett went down with an ankle injury late in 2023 forced a quarterback controversy to emerge. Rudolph, the long-time backup to Ben Roethlisberger and now Pickett, had the best stretch of his career, completing 74.3 percent of his passes for 719 yards with three touchdowns and no picks while winning all three of his starts to end the regular season and lead Pittsburgh to a wild-card berth. He struggled in the playoffs against the Bills, however, completing only 56.4 percent of his passes for 229 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Rudolph is set to hit free agency, meaning the Steelers could have to compete with other teams to bring back his services if they want him to be part of the quarterback battle. He began last year as the third-string quarterback behind Pickett and Mitch Trubisky, who was released on Feb. 12.
Here’s a look at how the career stats have lined up for each of the three QBs.
| Player | G | Cmp-Att (Cmp%) | Pass Yds | Pass TDs | Ints | Rush Atts | Rush Yds | Rush TDs |
| Justin Fields | 40 | 578-958 (60.3%) | 6,674 | 40 | 30 | 356 | 2,220 | 14 |
| Kenny Pickett | 25 | 446-713 (62.6%) | 4,474 | 13 | 13 | 97 | 291 | 4 |
| Mason Rudolph | 21 | 291-458 (63.5%) | 3,085 | 19 | 11 | 43 | 97 | 0 |
Pickett has certainly shown glimpses at times, particularly how he finished the 2022 season and performed in the 2023 preseason. But given the large enough body of work at this point, it’s likely there’s going to be more pessimism than optimism surrounding the quarterback position in Pittsburgh for 2024.
