Examining Steelers QB Kenny Pickett's NFL Future amid Mike Tomlin Rumors

The Pittsburgh Steelers were knocked out of the playoffs in the wild-card round and now face a few big questions heading into the offseason.

The biggest question right now is whether head coach Mike Tomlin will stick with the Steelers beyond the 2024 season. All we know for certain is that Tomlin is entering the final year of his contract and will be back next season.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Tomlin has told the team that he'll coach in 2024 and he could discuss an extension in the offseason.

From ESPN's Brooke Pryor:

"Tomlin, who has a year left on his contract, has given no indications of wanting to step away in recent weeks, a source close to the situation told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, and Tomlin "just wants to coach football." The source added that contract extension talks could intensify this offseason."

The next biggest unknown is what the Steelers do at quarterback moving forward. 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett has a 14-10 record as the starter, but he was effectively benched for Mason Rudolph at the end of the season and in the playoffs.

Ray Fittipaldi of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pickett was not present for end-of-year media availability:

While Pickett's absence doesn't necessarily mean that the quarterback is unhappy with the role he was given late in the season, it is curious.

And Steelers fans should be very curious about what happens next. Pickett is under contract for at least two more seasons. Rudolph is set to be a free agent in March, and third QB Mitch Trubisky is a logical cut candidate.

Releasing Trubisky would save $2.9 million in cap space.

Pittsburgh may re-sign Rudolph and hold a quarterback competition during the summer. with the winner getting the job throughout 2024. Players like guard Isaac Seumalo know that flip-flopping between quarterbacks isn't ideal.

"The quarterback situation needs to be figured out," Seumalo said, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "That's how the NFL is. We need to have some solidarity there, one way or another

However, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported back on June 6 that the organization still views Pickett as the future.

"The organization does still believe in Kenny Pickett and in no way wants to move on from him after the season," Rapoport said on NFL GameDay. "Still a ton of confidence that he can be a franchise starter."

So, unless Rudolph or another quarterback clearly out-performs Pickett during camp, the 25-year-old will likely get at least one more chance to prove he can be a franchise signal-caller. However, his development is going to be a major storyline throughout the season.

Pickett has flashed promise. He has a winning record, he's careful with the football and he's occasionally delivered in clutch moments. However, he's also failed to add much punch to the passing attack, which only took off after Rudolph took over.

For the most part, the remaining NFL playoff field is littered with dynamic playmaking quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love and, of course, Lamar Jackson.

Brock Purdy, Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff are more traditional pocket passers, but they push the ball downfield in ways that Pickett rarely does. If the Steelers are going to be consistent postseason threats, they need to figure out how to unlock that part of Pickett's game.

Carrying average quarterback play into the postseason simply isn't a viable strategy.

Getting Pickett to improve dramatically in 2024 is paramount because of the lingering uncertainty surrounding Tomlin. He's a Hall of Fame-caliber coach who has never delivered a losing season. However, he hasn't experienced a playoff win since 2016. If Pittsburgh hopes to keep Tomlin long-term, it needs to provide him with a quarterback in whom he believes.

If the Steelers still don't know what they have in Pickett by the end of next season, Tomlin could be very inclined to go elsewhere—assuming he doesn't sign an extension before then. Any unknowns at quarterback could also be problematic if the team is forced to replace Tomlin in 2025.

As The Athletic's Mark Kaboly recently theorized, Pickett's presence could be a deal-breaker for some coaches.

"I think there will be some candidates out there who would only take the job if Pickett wasn't the starter," Kaboly wrote about Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator search. "If that's the case, then the Steelers wouldn't hire them."

The search for an offensive coordinator is also heavily tied to Pickett's future. The Steelers invested a first-round pick in the quarterback, and they want him to succeed. That means finding a coordinator willing to work with Pickett and capable of getting more from him than Matt Canada did is priority No. 1.

There are some intriguing candidates, including Alex Van Pelt, Greg Roman, Frank Reich, Carolina Panthers advisor Jim Caldwell and 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak. Several teams are in the OC market, though, so Pittsburgh may have to act quickly to land their preferred target.

Hiring the right coordinator is the first move the Steelers must make this offseason, long before they get to free agency or the draft. It's a decision Pittsburgh cannot take lightly because Pickett's continued development, or lack thereof, could have a massive impact o both his future and that of the Steelers organization.