Predicting Steelers' Biggest Regrets from 2022 NFL Offseason

The Pittsburgh Steelers could come out of the 2022 NFL season with regrets about how they handled their quarterback situation.

The first year without Ben Roethlisberger at the helm was going to be tough to navigate in any situation, but the Steelers are heading toward the regular season with weekly questions expected about the positional battle there.

Pittsburgh drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, but he has not taken many reps with the first-team offense throughout training camp. Mitchell Trubisky, who was signed as a free agent, is in line to be the Week 1 starter.

The Steelers organization is not associated with losing, but Trubisky's potential play in the pocket may leave some fans to wonder if it would have been worth sacrificing one year of results to let Pickett develop over the course of 17 games.

Of course, there is always the potential that Pickett does not pan out and the Steelers wasted a first-round pick, but that was the risk they were willing to take.

Pittsburgh's other top draft picks may be on the field sooner than Pickett. George Pickens has been the star of training camp, and Calvin Austin displayed potential as well.

Pickens could develop into a star in the NFL, and his performance may make the Steelers regret handing more money to Diontae Johnson when their potential new No. 1 wide receiver is a rookie.

How the Quarterback Situation Played Out

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PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 13: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers signals to receivers while under center in the first quarter during a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium on August 13, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

The Steelers quarterback room is filled with a first-round pick that did not pan out with the team that drafted him, a 2022 first-round pick and an average backup.

Mitchell Trubisky appears to be the Week 1 starter unless the Steelers completely switch around the quarterback depth chart in the next few weeks. Trubisky has run with the first-team offense in the majority of preseason.

Trubisky may not be the answer to Pittsburgh's quarterback conundrum. In fact, his career statistics suggest that he probably will not hold the job for long.

Trubisky had a single 20-touchdown season over four years with the Chicago Bears, and he has a 64.1 completion percentage in his NFL career.

Pittsburgh may regret signing Trubisky as a free agent because he has been average at best during his NFL career. He may change things around and turn into a serviceable signal-caller, but the Bears were hoping for that in each of his seasons there and it did not happen.

The Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett with the intention of him being the long-term starter. He has not permanently cleared Mason Rudolph on the positional depth chart yet. Pickett could start the season as the backup to Trubisky, and it seems like the coaching staff is taking a cautious approach with him.

There is a scenario in which the Steelers made the wrong decision with both Trubisky and Pickett and end up back at square one in a year or two. Maybe there was a reason Pickett fell to the Steelers and no other quarterbacks were chosen in the first round.

Pittsburgh had a need to fill, but it could have used another veteran quarterback for one year and waited for the better quarterback class to come out in 2023.

Only time will give us the answer on the quarterback situation, but there is potential for it to fail spectacularly in 2022.

Signing Diontae Johnson to an Extension

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 16: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) cuts after making a catch in the first quarter of an AFC wild card playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs on Jan 16, 2022 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Steelers needed to do something with Diontae Johnson's contract in the offseason.

Pittsburgh signed Johnson to a two-year, $36 million contract extension with $27 million guaranteed.

Johnson is Pittsburgh's top returning wide receiver, and he is coming off his first 1,000-yard season, so the contract is warranted for that reasoning.

Pittsburgh does have a history of letting top-tier wide receiver talent walk in order to replace them with younger players on cheaper contracts.

That situation may have played out throughout the 2022 season if Johnson did not sign a two-year extension.

Pittsburgh landed George Pickens in the second round of the draft, and by all accounts, he is the star of training camp.

Pickens fell to the second round because of injuries at Georgia, but he has the potential to be a top wideout in the NFL.

Of course, we are getting way ahead of ourselves on the Pickens hype because he has not played a regular-season snap in the NFL yet, but there could have been a situation in which the Steelers drafted rookie wideouts and pushed Johnson out.

After all, Johnson has not been perfect during his time in Pittsburgh. He has been prone to drops, and he has a 62.7 catch percentage over three seasons. Some of that may have to do with Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph throwing passes to him.

The Johnson contract appears to be good business for the Steelers, but if he underperforms as the top wideout and Pickens thrives, there could be some discussion about whether the deal was worth it.

Not Adding Enough Depth Behind Najee Harris

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PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 25: Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) takes part in a drill during the team's OTA practice on May 25, 2022, at the Steelers Practice Facility in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Pittsburgh's depth at running back is concerning.

The Steelers have a potential top-five running back in Najee Harris and not much else on the roster at the moment.

Harris recorded 1,200 rushing yards, 467 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns in his rookie season.

Pittsburgh is expected to rely on him more in 2022 as it figures out its quarterback situation. There will be games in which the Steelers tie their fortunes to Harris if Trubisky and/or Pickett fail to deliver out of the pocket.

The Steelers' worst-case scenario for 2022 is Harris missing more than one game. Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland have not done enough as backups in the NFL to have any faith in them leading the offense for more than a spot start. Rookie Jaylen Warren is the other running back in camp with a chance to make the roster.

Snell had a decent rookie season with 426 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but there was a reason the Steelers landed Harris in the 2021 NFL draft and did not stick with Snell, who had 98 yards on 36 carries last season.

McFarland has yet to fulfill his potential in two years with the franchise. He earned just three carries last season.

Snell and McFarland can't be counted on as starters in case of a Harris injury. Warren could be good, but putting a rookie in that spot is a bit of a risk.

Pittsburgh showed trust in its own players, but it would have been smart to land a veteran running back to provide some depth and spell Harris in certain situations without losing much quality on the gridiron.