The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of decisions to make during the 2024 offseason, especially regarding the offense. The team announced the release of backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky and offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor on Monday. They will still have to decide what to do with longtime Steelers backup quarterback, Mason Rudolph. As it stands now, Kenny Pickett is the only quarterback under contract for 2024. This has led to speculation that the Steelers might pick up a quarterback, most notably, Justin Fields via a trade with the Chicago Bears.
On top of that, the team will have to decide the fate of veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II and the rest of the offensive line. Fans have been most unhappy with the performance of center Mason Cole in particular. Now, Pittsburgh insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has addressed some of these possible, or impossible, offensive changes in his latest chat column.
Steelers Will Make Controversial Changes Per Dulac
The Bears have found themselves in a fantastic position for the 2024 NFL Draft after an earlier trade with the Carolina Panthers. This has suddenly created speculation that they will choose to move away from Fields and draft Caleb Williams, the quarterback out of USC, who is widely believed to be the top pick. Is the possibility of drafting a generational type of talent like Williams too much for the team to resist?
If that is the direction the Bears are going in, then Fields would likely want to move on. During his three years in Chicago, he hasn’t exactly been set up for success. He has had three different offensive coordinators in three years and a lack of offensive weapons. That, along with the fact that Head Coach Mike Tomlin reportedly admires Fields, has helped connect the two. Dulac just doesn’t see it happening for a variety of reasons.
“It has basis in that the Steelers LOVED Fields when he was coming out in the draft. But, with their commitment to Pickett, and for reasons I stated earlier, I don’t think it has a significant amount of basis,” wrote Dulac.
Earlier in the column, Dulac said that he just doesn’t see the Steelers moving away from Pickett. Both Tomlin and President Art Rooney II have said that they want to see Pickett be successful in Pittsburgh, but understand that he has to get more consistent in his third season. That means that the Steelers are really looking for backup quarterbacks, assuming they don’t keep Rudolph. Dulac doesn’t see that being Fields.
“I can’t imagine Fields wanting to sign with a team where he won’t be the No.1 QB. And I don’t believe the Steelers are in the market for a No. 1 QB.”
That leaves center as one of the Steelers’ biggest needs. It won’t matter who the Steelers have at quarterback if their center imitates a turnstile every week. Cole struggled in nearly every game with exchanges to the quarterback and was an inept blocker. There was more than one game in 2023 where Cole’s bad snaps had a significant negative impacts.
A fan asked Dulac about the likelihood of the Steelers drafting a center in an early round with the hopes of finding someone who could be the next Maurkice Pouncey, or if the team will continue to utilize Cole and go some other route? Dulac responded by saying that he sees it as very likely that the team will keep Cole in 2024 and look to draft someone in a later round that is serviceable.
#Steelers remaining cap savings options:
Cut Allen Robinson – $10m
Restructure Alex Highsmith – $7.2m
Cut Pat Pete – $6.9m
Cut Mason Cole – $4.8m
Extend/Void Year Cam Heyward – TBD, likely up to ~$9m— Steelers Cap (@SteelersCap) February 12, 2024
Dulac did admit that the Steelers really like Cole, but would like him more as a guard. The question will really be if the Steelers see a defensive lineman who could be a replacement for Cameron Heyward as a priority over a center. He did add that he expects them to address the offensive line during the draft, but it doesn’t sound like it will be a move for one of the top centers like many fans are hoping for.
