Best, Worst Case Offseason Scenarios for Steelers, NFL Teams with Biggest QB Problems

There are two types of teams in the NFL—those with franchise quarterbacks and those without. That both teams who played in Super Bowl LVIII have one is no coincidence. Nor is the fact that the team who won has the best one.

The Pittsburgh Steelers do not appear from the outside to have a franchise quarterback. But the powers that be in the Steel City may disagree—after being linked to several veteran quarterbacks, Pittsburgh reportedly is content to go into 2024 with Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph under center—provided they can re-sign the latter.

It begs a question. What's the best thing that could happen to teams like the Steelers looking to improve at football's most important position? And what's the worst that could befall them? A veteran arrival? Missing out on a prized rookie. A little of both?

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Justin Fields

The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to win 10 games and make the postseason in 2023 despite a passing offense that ranked 25th in the league. If the Steelers are going to take a step forward and become a legitimate contender in 2024, there has to be an upgrade under center.

BEST CASE: Trade for Justin Fields

As we saw last year, the Steelers possess a playoff-caliber roster. The defense is headed by arguably the best defensive player in the league in T.J. Watt. There is no shortage of talent at the offensive skill positions. The Steelers aren't that far off—they just need better quarterback play.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the belief is that Justin Fields would cost potential suitors a Day 2 pick. And while one AFC executive doesn't necessarily see Fields as an elite option under center, he told Fowler that the former Ohio State standout could succeed with the right support around him.

"If you have to throw the ball 35 times a game with Fields, then you might run into challenges," the exec said. "But that doesn't mean that you can't have success with him and that he can't win throwing the ball. He just needs the right offense and support system."

The Steelers would appear to have just that sort of support system.

WORST CASE: Sticking with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph

Unfortunately, it appears the Steelers have no interest in Fields—or any other outside veteran.

In the opinion of Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers have enough confidence in Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph that they aren't interested in pursuing a high-end replacement.

"I can't imagine Fields wanting to sign with a team where he won't be the No. 1 QB," Dulac wrote. "And I don't believe the Steelers are in the market for a No. 1 QB."

Apparently, Steelers general manager Omar Khan hasn't actually watched Pickett and Rudolph, you know, play.

Chicago Bears

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Caleb Williams

Thanks to the trade that landed quarterback Bryce Young in Carolina, the Bears in the catbird's seat in the 2024 draft, owners of the first overall pick. And the general consensus appears to be that the Bears will use that No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback.

BEST CASE: Draft Caleb Williams, Trade Justin Fields

In the eyes of many pundits, USC's Caleb Williams is the top quarterback prospect in this class. Bleacher Report's Scouting Department actually has him slotted second, but Derrik Klassen wrote that the 6'1", 215-pounder brings a lot to the table.

"Overall, Williams is a fascinating prospect," he said. "The arm talent oozes off the film, and he is a special playmaker when things break down. Williams is also more put together as a processor than his playing style suggests, even if he still needs work."

Williams is every bit as dangerous as Fields running the ball. He's a superior arm talent. And perhaps most importantly, the Bears could reset the clock for their quarterback's second contract—a contract that can completely change how a team does business.

WORST CASE: Pass on a QB and Keep Fields

However, there are those who believe that the Bears should keep Fields and either trade down or address another position, including former Bears player Corey Wooton.

"Imagine D.J. Moore, and Marvin Harrison Jr. in that backfield. Cole Kmet in the red zone," Wooton said. "That will be a dynamic offense right there. I think they're so close to being a playoff team. This should have been a year ago. If they could finish some games, imagine adding those pieces and building around them. And now Justin Fields finally has a play caller that can script for success. So, I'm going to stick with Justin Fields. I'm going to build around him. I think you get a haul if you trade that pick back and be able to rebuild this team."

Now, Fields may well develop into a quality NFL starter. But at this point he has started 38 games for the Bears—and won 10. There are reports he clashed with veteran quarterbacks Nick Foles and Andy Dalton as a rookie. And he's just two years from free agency.

The Bears have a golden opportunity here. Don't blow it.

Minnesota Vikings

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Kirk Cousins

Two years ago, the Minnesota Vikings won 13 games and the NFC North. But due largely to the torn Achilles suffered by veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Vikings missed the playoffs—and with Cousins set to hit free agency, the Vikings are suddenly at a crossroads as a franchise.

BEST CASE: Tag or Re-Sign Cousins

Stop groaning, Vikings fans. Take a deep breath. Do a "SKOL" chant.

The best solution for the Vikings under center is to (provided he's healthy) bring Cousins back for a seventh season in the Twin Cities.

Is Cousins an elite quarterback? No. But he's a quality NFL starter who has made 145 career starts, including 88 in Minnesota. In those 88 starts, Cousins is 13 games over .500. He has thrown over three times as many touchdown passes as interceptions and has a passer rating of over 100.

Yes, the Vikings also have a mega-extension for wide receiver Justin Jefferson to consider. But they can get both deals done, and the reality is that there isn't another veteran option available this year who is an upgrade on the 35-year-old.

If the Vikings hope to make a quick return to the postseason, the best move is to go with the devil they know.

WORST CASE: A Bridge Starter and a Reset Under Center

To date, however, the Vikings haven't made a real push to re-up Cousins—and the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero believes that the team may not do so if Cousins' asking price becomes too high.

"With the Vikings' situation, they would like to re-sign Kirk Cousins, who is set to become a free agent in March," Pelissero said. "But my anticipation is Cousins will have a strong market, even at age 35, coming off of a torn Achilles. And Minnesota is examining all options, in the event that Cousins ends up landing elsewhere. If, in fact, the price tag goes too high, the Vikings would likely pursue a more economical veteran ... (and) hope that veteran becomes this year's Baker Mayfield, while also buying them time to maybe develop a rookie quarterback."

With the 11th pick, the Vikings aren't landing an elite rookie without mortgaging the future to trade up. Pairing a developmental prospect with a stopgap veteran isn't going to get Minnesota back into the postseason.

If that's the route they take, the Vikings will be lucky to win seven games in 2024.

Denver Broncos

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Jarrett Stidham

The Denver Broncos thought they had solved their issues at quarterback when the team traded for Russell Wilson back in 2022. But after two mostly dismal seasons and a late-season benching last year, Wilson's future in Denver is anything but certain.

BEST CASE: Mend Fences with Russell Wilson

Just about everyone expects Wilson to be released this spring. But while speaking to reporters in January, Broncos head coach Sean Payton insisted that no final decision has been made regarding Wilson's future with the team.

"Look, I think when we get back and we begin this process of looking at our roster, where we select, there's so many things that go into a decision specific to the quarterback, which is significant obviously, so it's too early at all," Payton said. "I spent half an hour with Russ yesterday, and I told him, I said, 'Look, I don't think it's going to be a long, drawn-out process, but it hasn't been decided relative to what our plans are.' But as soon as we know something, certainly, he would be the first to know."

If it's at all possible to patch up the relationship and keep Wilson around, the Broncos should do it. Sure, Wilson isn't the quarterback that won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. But the dead cap hit for his release is well north of $80 million.

That's a season-killer.

WORST CASE: The Year of the Stidham

If the Broncos do follow through on releasing Wilson, then that's that—the team is punting the 2024 season.

Given the massive crater that his release would leave in Denver's financial resources, you can forget any kind of quality veteran addition. Incumbent Jarrett Stidham or a bargain vet like Pittsburgh's Mason Rudolph would likely be the best the team could afford.

A move up in the draft from No. 12 would be expensive. It would also mark the third straight season Denver gutted the future in a trade—and the first two haven't exactly panned out. Players like Michigan's J.J. McCarthy and Oregon's Bo Nix might be available at 12, but neither is any kind of sure thing as an NFL passer.

Frankly, if Denver goes this route the team might as well take their lumps and angle for an elite prospect in 2025—because they will be picking high in Round 1 that season.

Las Vegas Raiders

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Aidan O'Connell

The Las Vegas Raiders tried the second-tier veteran route at quarterback last year, signing veteran Jimmy Garoppolo. That experiment was a miserable failure, and now the Raiders are right back where they started at the game's most important position.

BEST CASE: Sign Russell Wilson

That the Raiders managed to win eight games last year despite a passing attack that averaged less than 200 yards per game speaks to the talent on the rest of the roster. This is a team that isn't that far away from contending.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler was told by one executive that he believes Wilson is a good fit with the Silver and Black if Denver cuts him loose.

"[The Raiders] need a vet, and they are one of Wilson's original teams he wanted to go to," said the exec, referring to Wilson's wish list in 2021. "He'd stay in the [AFC West], West Coast, and [Wilson's wife] Ciara can do a [Las Vegas] residency [as a live performer]."

After Wilson's disappointing tenure in Denver, he's not going to cost $40 million a season to sign. Frankly, his numbers weren't that bad with the Broncos—he threw 26 touchdown passes against just eight picks last year and posted a passer rating of 98.0. Landing in Vegas would give him two shots a year to stick it to Payton and the Broncos. And Nevada has no state income tax, which means more cash in Wilson's pockets.

WORST CASE: Do Nothing

This is admittedly unlikely, at least in the eyes of pundits. The Raiders have been or will be linked to just about every veteran quarterback hitting the market, and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy has been a popular selection at No. 13 overall in the mock draft community.

But new Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy also talked up second-year pro Aidan O' Connell while speaking to reporters.

"Without even knowing him or talking to him about anything yet, I could tell you right now that guy has got to be someone that prepares his butt off and is a great teammate," Getsy said Friday. "For the guys to rally around him the way that I saw from the outside looking in and for him to go perform in the way that he did in the end of that season, that just speaks volumes. So, I'm excited to get to know him, excited to work with him for sure."

O'Connell isn't terrible—he did win half his 10 starts last season. But he's a backup—a limited talent who just can't carry an NFL offense.

Simply put, he ain't the guy. And the Raiders should know that by now.

New England Patriots

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Drake Maye

It's the end of an era in New England, with Bill Belichick no longer prowling the sidelines with a scowl on his face and Jerod Mayo taking over head coaching duties. But Mayo will be doing plenty of scowling of his own if the Patriots don't figure out a quarterback situation that produced the NFL's 28th-ranked passing attack last year.

BEST CASE: Draft a Quarterback at No. 3—Period

The good news for the Patriots is that the team has the third overall pick this year. The bad news is that both of the teams ahead of them are all but certainly taking quarterbacks.

That shouldn't matter even a little.

There are three contenders for the title of this year's No. 1 quarterback prospect. USC's Caleb Williams ability to improvise has drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes. North Carolina's Drake Maye is more of a classic pocket passer—and Bleacher Report's No. 1 prospect at the position. LSU's Jayden Daniels exploded into national prominence with a highlight-reel laden Heisman campaign in 2023. All have a solid chance to be good NFL quarterbacks—at least.

The Patriots need one of those in the worst way imaginable. So, whichever of that trio is available when the Pats go on the clock should be the pick.

It's that simple.

WORST CASE: Mac Jones Still Being on the Team in 2024

Not that long ago, Mac Jones was supposed to be the quarterback who would lead the Patriots into the future. But after taking New England to the playoffs as a rookie, things quickly fell apart for Jones in Beantown. He clashed with Belichick, was benched more than once and apparently lost the locker room in New England.

"It's really hard to live down your history with an NFL team, and Jones's with the New England Patriots is not good," Albert Breer wrote at Sports Illustrated. "He was drafted 15th and hasn't come close to living up to his slot. He was good as a rookie, and regressed badly since. He was well-liked early on, but, over time, lost support in the building. And the quarterback room he was in the last two years got toxic, to the point where Bailey Zappe, as a rookie, sometimes watched tape in the receiver room.

At this point, it seems that Jones needs a fresh start as much as the Patriots need to be done with him. He may not fetch much in a trade, but New England needs to get what it can and move on.

Washington Commanders

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Jayden Daniels

The Washington Commanders have new owners, a new front office, a new head coach in Dan Quinn and the most cap space in the NFL. This is a team about to get a full-on makeover, and it needs to start at the quarterback position.

BEST CASE: Draft LSU Quarterback Jayden Daniels

As was already mentioned, there is something of a "Big Three" in this year's draft class—Williams. Maye and Daniels. For his money, ESPN's Field Yates thinks that the best pick for the Commanders would be the 2023 Heisman trophy winner.

"Daniels did as much as one could possibly do during the 2023 season to boost his draft stock, as he skyrocketed up boards on the heels of 40 touchdown passes, 4 interceptions and 1,230 rushing yards (not including sacks) on his way to the Heisman Trophy," he said. "He's the best dual-threat quarterback in this class and changes the math for a defense every time he steps on the field. In Washington, Daniels would have an exciting wide receiver unit and could help build stability under center for new coach Dan Quinn."

An argument can be made that while Daniels' ceiling in undeniable, he is a riskier pick than Maye. But the Commanders were terrible in 2023. This is a team (and a fanbase) that needs a jolt of excitement.

Daniels will provide that on Sundays.

WORST CASE: Trade Back and Miss Out on a "Big Three" QB

To be clear, this analyst doesn't think this will happen. The Cardinal Rule of the NFL is teams with franchise quarterbacks rule. The Commanders have a chance to get one at No. 2 overall. They shouldn't squander it.

But the Commanders are something of a trendy pick to move down this April. On some level, it's understandable. Quarterback may be Washington's biggest need, but it isn't the only one. Or the only pressing one.

But it would be a mistake.

Is it possible that quarterbacks like McCarthy or Nix will develop into good NFL starters? Yes—"Mr. "Irrelevant just started the Super Bowl. But the Commanders have the opportunity this year to draft a signal-caller with the potential to be great.

You don't pass that up.

Atlanta Falcons

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Ryan Tannehill

The Atlanta Falcons rolled into 2023 with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. Both saw action. Neither played well. And if the Falcons are going to win more than seven games in 2024, improvement at quarterback is a must.

BEST CASE: Sign Ryan Tannehill

This is going to inspire about as much enthusiasm as a trip to the orthodontist. But taking a run at Ryan Tannehill could make sense for the Falcons for a few reasons.

Yes, Tannehill struggled last season before finally giving way to youngster Will Levis. But as recently as 2021 he won 12 starts in Tennessee. Tannehill isn't Josh Allen—but he isn't Ridder or Heinicke. He'd be an upgrade. And given last year's struggles, he's not going to break the bank in free agency.

With the eighth pick in the 2024 draft, the Falcons are sort of in "No Man's Land" at quarterback—at least three and possibly four signal-callers will likely have been taken, but most mocks have McCarthy and Nix going outside the top-10.

Even if Atlanta does draft a quarterback at No. 8, they could well need Tannehill as a bridge starter, unless Raheem Morris wants his second season as head coach to start with a top-five pick and him on the hot seat after Ridder struggles yet again.

WORST CASE: The Status Quo

This is another one that feels implausible, assuming that Morris watched any Falcons games last year. But there's at least a possibility that the depth chart at quarterback could look largely the same in Atlanta in 2024 as it did in 2023.

Depending on how things shake out with the top quarterbacks in 2024, it's possible that Atlanta will go another direction with their first pick—the team needs help on the edge defensively in the worst way imaginable. This isn't to say that Atlanta might not take a Day 2 or Day 3 quarterback, but counting on those picks to be immediate contributors is wishful thinking at best.

If the free agent pool dries up and/or the new coaching staff in Atlanta convinces itself that Ridder is fixable, it could be a quieter offseason at the position in Atlanta than many think.

That would not be good.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Baker Mayfield

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the champions of the NFC South and won a playoff game in 2023. But with Baker Mayfield about to hit free agency, the quarterback position in Tampa is the most cloudy of last season's postseason participants.

BEST CASE: Re-Sign Baker Mayfield

Of course, there's an easy way to clear things up—bring Mayfield back on a new deal.

Granted, that deal will be substantially more expensive than the last one after Mayfield set career highs in passing yards and touchdown passes. There will be interest from other QB-needy teams as well.

But new Tampa offensive coordinator Liam Coen told reporters that one of the reasons he took the Buccaneers job was the opportunity to work with Mayfield again after the two worked together with the Los Angeles Rams.

"The opportunity to be around him, potentially, every day, to coach a guy that's competitive as he is, that has that moxie, that's fun," Coen said. "I mean you can't coach that. And when a guy has that ability, and the ability to communicate with others, that's something that I really wanted to be around, and was very intriguing for us."

Tampa has other free agents to worry about (including wide receiver Mike Evans). But Mayfield needs to be a priority.

WORST CASE: Losing Musical Chairs

There will be demand for Mayfield's services—demand that could drive up Mayfield's asking price. If that price becomes too rich for the Buccaneers, it's not inconceivable they would pass.

And that's where things could go sideways quickly.

Even in this theoretical exercise, we have seen how quickly the bigger names can be gobbled up at quarterback—rookies and veterans alike. If Mayfield were to depart and Tampa couldn't find a veteran replacement, the team could suddenly be looking at options like Kyle Trask. Or lower-end free agents like Sam Darnold of the San Francisco 49ers or Gardner Minshew of the Indianapolis Colts. Or trying to hit on a rookie with the 26th overall pick.

Just about every year someone is left standing when the music stops.

The 2024 season will likely be no different.