2022 NFL Draft: 5 teams that have to select a quarterback next year
By Kyle Edmond
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed like a candidate to take a quarterback in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft if one fell, but since one didn’t they will move forward with no clear answer beyond Ben Roethlisberger. There’s worse options than a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion, but the fact of the matter remains that Roethlisberger is now 39-years old and his slew of injuries makes his career seem to be on its last leg.
Roethlisberger’s contract gets a little weird since it’s spread out over multiple years, but the important aspect is that this is the last official season that he’s on Pittsburgh’s roster. That can obviously change, but it serves as just another sign that this might be it for Big Ben.
The Steelers have done a little bit of behind the scenes work to try and come up with a plan beyond Roethlisberger. Mason Rudolph has played the position before, as has Joshua Dobbs, and Pittsburgh added Dwayne Haskins in free agency.
The catch could be that the team probably won’t get a look at those guys in the regular season, barring an injury. If this truly is Roethlisberger’s last season, the team might be heading into next year blind at the quarterback position.
Should this upcoming season put them in position to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, they would be wise to pull the trigger. Rudolph and Dobbs don’t look like long-term solutions and Haskins would be quite the risk. For that reason, quarterback needs to be high on their list in next year’s draft.