The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their season slipping away courtesy of a three-game losing streak to start December. After a brutal loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13, they doubled down with an even more embarrassing loss, on a short week at home, to the New England Patriots.
Both teams entered the games with two victories, as losses like that are something good teams would avoid. In Week 15, against the Indianapolis Colts, who were also vying for a playoff spot in the AFC, the Steelers had another dud, losing 30-13.
With starting quarterback Kenny Pickett injured against the Cardinals, the Steelers went with Mitchell Trubisky in the next two games, both losses. With their season on the line, head coach Mike Tomlin opted to turn to Mason Rudolph in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Kirk Cousins, Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
Rudolph responded with a big game, leading the Steelers to victory. The team ended up sticking with him for the remainder of the season, as he went 3-0 to close out the regular season before losing to the Buffalo Bills on Monday during Super Wild Card Weekend.
That has raised some questions about the future of the quarterback position in Pittsburgh. While the team has remained committed to Pickett long-term, should they consider making a change at the position this offseason?
Pickett was picked in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and hasn’t provided much evidence that he is their franchise quarterback of the future. While Pittsburgh won’t be in a position to select one of the top signal callers in the draft this year, they could dip into free agency and bring in a veteran player.
In the opinion of former NFL standout turned ESPN analyst Marcus Spears, that is what the Steelers should do. If Pittsburgh were able to land Kirk Cousins, Spears believes the team would become instant Super Bowl contenders.
While that is certainly a bold take, especially given Cousins’ struggles in prime time and big games, there is some truth to it. The Steelers’ offense has been stuck in the mud too often during Pickett’s tenure with the team, as even firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada didn’t result in too much of a change.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Kirk Cousins, Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
Cousins would instantly change that. He has been one of the more consistent quarterbacks in the NFL over the last few years, someone who isn’t afraid to push the ball downfield and make some big plays.
Before this season, as Cousins was injured in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings were in the top half of the NFL offensively in all but one season with Cousins as their starter. The Steelers, on the other hand, have been in the bottom third of the league in five straight seasons.
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