As the NFL Combine recently wrapped up, the search for a NFL quarterback to lead one’s team intensified for many teams. Each team’s General Managers’ pursuit of their next signal-caller continues as they look to put together a roster that will succeed in the fall. Defining success varies for each organization. One can simply state that there was only one successful team, the Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs last year, and therefore every other team ended their season on an unhappy note.
An unhappy note sounds different for different teams. The San Franscico 49ers lost in overtime to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Contrast the timbre of their discontent with the unhappiness of the Carolina Panthers. Carolina than won just two games last year while losing 15. The difference between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Carolina Panthers can be linked to the NFL quarterback play. The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes, the ultimate signal caller, a quarterback who has earned Super Bowl MVP in each of the Chiefs’ recent wins in 2020, 2023 and 2024. The Panthers counter with Bryce Young, a player who has struggled mightily with the team. For every team in between the two, successful quarterback play is key to having a good year. Mahomes is one of only three players in NFL history to have received the MVP award three times.
Top Three NFL Quarterback Prospects
There are three quarterbacks in this year’s upcoming draft that figure to be early selections; Caleb Williams of USC, Drake Maye of North Carolina and Jayden Daniels of LSU. The trio are expected to be taken within the first ten selections on the first day of the draft than begins on April 25th. The teams with the first three selections are the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots. Each of the franchises figure to be natural landing spots for these three players. Speculation regarding a fourth quarterback, J.J. McCarthy of Michigan has fueled intense intrigue. Some people believe him worthy of a Top 10 selection, others think less of him. And there is the speculation about teams with lower picks in the draft who are in need of a quarterback will trade up and try to acquire him.
The Pittsburgh Steelers finished last season with a record of 10-7, missing the playoffs, but extending Coach Mike Tomlin’s personal record of non-losing seasons to 16. Finding a quarterback to lead a team is not restricted to the Draft. The Pittsburgh, offense, a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, underwhelmed much of last year. The franchise seems committed to having quarterback Kenny Pickett return for another season. Instead of admitting that Pickett, a 1st round pick by the franchise in 2022 has not worked out as hoped, General Manager Omar Khan clings to the belief that Pickett will somehow become a player that he has yet to show glimpses of. Time to move on.
Intrigued by Russell Wilson
I am intrigued by the idea of Russell Wilson in a Steeler uniform. Wilson was released by the Denver Broncos on Monday. Wilson signed a 5-year $242.6 million contract in March 2022 and suffered through two miserable seasons in the Mile High City. With the release, the Broncos will take on $85 million in dead cap charges over the next two years. That amount is the highest in league history. Wilson first underwhelmed under head Coach Nathaniel Hackett, and repeated the same performance under Sean Payton this year. In all fairness to Wilson, he threw for 26 touchdowns, completed two-thirds of his passes, while only throwing 8 interceptions. He just seemingly didn’t run Sean Payton’s offense to the head coaches’ liking. Wilson did show this past year that he has enough game to go to another team and excel.
Defining Insanity
The Steelers recently released Mitch Trubisky, leaving Mason Rudolph to compete with Pickett for the starting quarterback position. Neither has shown reason for a team to believe that this may be the year that one of them will take a leap forward and become a top tier quarterback. To quote my middle child in explaining the definition of insanity, “If nothing changes, nothing changes.” Russell Wilson just may be the change that is needed in Pittsburgh.
Barry Schustermann
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