With the Pittsburgh Steelers offseason in full swing, there are a lot of speculations and conjecture floating about regarding what will happen to the team in the upcoming months.
The Steelers will have a lot of decisions to make both before and after the NFL Draft in April and free agency in March. These judgments will also take into account the opinions of a few specific people.
Taking a broader look at the Steelers offseason and some stories that might have an influence, these are some pressing questions.This urgent query might be its own subject. The Steelers selected Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 draft, but when they signed veteran Mitchell Trubisky and selected Kenny Pickett in 2022, Rudolph was passed over in the competition to replace Ben Roethlisberger.
Rudolph stepped up and helped the Steelers to three straight wins and a postseason berth in 2023 after Trubisky was benched and Pickett was hurt.
Both head coach Mike Tomlin and team president Art Rooney II have expressed their desire for Rudolph to return in 2024. Rudolph is set to become a free agent in March. Rudolph must determine whether he wants to be a part of that type of competition, even though the latter stated that Pickett will fight for the starting position.No other club expressed interest in signing Rudolph during the offseason, despite the fact that many believe the franchise abused him by not giving him a genuine opportunity to start after Big Ben. With a proper deal and behind-the-scenes compromises made, the Steelers bringing him back and continuing to use Rudolph as the hot hand might be sufficient to allow Mason to return in 2024.Will a seasoned quarterback be signed by the Steelers?
Rudolph’s return should reduce the number of quarterbacks in the room, which made Trubisky an easy cap casualty this offseason.
Who might the team sign to compete with Kenny Pickett if Rudolph is unable to return? There aren’t many names on the list, including Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, and Joe Flacco.Who will be the lone offensive staff member for Arthur Smith?
Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan took over as the team’s duo after Matt Canada was fired as the team’s offensive coordinator.
As an NFL offensive coordinator with much experience, Sullivan fit the club perfectly as a stand-in play caller while Faulkner made the most week-to-week adjustments to Canada’s playbook.
It will be intriguing to watch what happens with the other offensive position coaches in light of the supporters’ demand for an outside hire, which was fulfilled with the signing of former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. While Faulkner’s contract had already been extended, Sullivan’s was not entirely certain. Interviews for other coaching positions across the league that Sullivan took part in suggest that the Steelers are cool with him departing, should he decide to do so. They are also discussing whether to maintain Sullivan in the same position or a new one. Additionally, Tom Arth was brought on as Pittsburgh’s first-ever passing game coordinator.
Seeing if any more names are added or subtracted from the staff will be intriguing. Although it would seem like Smith would have some influence on those position coaches, Coach Tomlin will have the last word in the matter.
Broderick Jones: Will he switch to left tackle?
Although Jones was a lock to start at left tackle for the Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft, the franchise benched Chukwuma Okorafor for the position and went with Dan Moore Jr. on the left side of the line, forcing Jones to fill in at right tackle.
In his final press conference of the season, Tomlin alluded to a wait-and-see strategy about Jones’ return to the left side. If the team decides to move on from Moore as well, they will need to find at least one other starting tackle because Okorafor is gone and his release will free up $8.75 million in salary space. Since Moore is nearing the end of his rookie deal, the Steelers are not obligated to keep him on the field as a starter. In the event that the team is unable to locate a quality right tackle through free agency or the draft, Jones will continue to play on the right side in 2024, with Moore or a future player filling in at left tackle.Is Najee Harris going to “sit in” at camp?
Running backs haven’t had much luck in free agency lately; the few who have gotten large contracts—like Ezekiel Elliott or Le’Veon Bell—have fallen by the wayside.
Harris, who is about to reach the last year of his rookie contract, may start contract talks asas soon as this winter break. The former first-round pick will have a fifth-year option that the Steelers may exercise, which would entail a large salary increase and could postpone those negotiations by one year.
But Harris would go into training camp knowing that 2024 would be his last season under his present contract if they choose not to exercise his option. Najee could follow in the footsteps of teammates T.J. Watt and Diontae Johnson, who both reported to training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania but discreetly avoided team drills while negotiating a new contract. Watt and Johnson have openly expressed their frustration with what other running backs have endured.
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