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Longtime draft analyst Tony Pauline is also hearing that the Steelers "love" Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. This past season, Mike Tomlin raved about quarterback mobility and how it's a must-have in today's league. So, it's fitting that the Steelers are intrigued by Willis.
Pauline also reported that the Steelers are targeting free-agent quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky, Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston. All three quarterbacks would be cheap options and more suitable than having Mason Rudolph as the starter. Triubisky and Bridgewater are mobile quarterbacks, also.
In 2019, Winston lead the league in passing with 5,109 yards, 319.3 yards per game, and was second in the NFL with 33 touchdown passes. However, Winston also led the league in interceptions with 30.
Before suffering an ACL injury in Week 8, Winston led the Saints to a 5-2 record and threw for 1,170 yards, completing 59% of his passes and had a 14-3 touchdown-interception ratio, along with a quarterback rating of 102.8.
There might be some concerns with Winston coming off an ACL injury, but he's already doing quarterback dropbacks and footwork drills. He's also running on the treadmill. According to Bovada, Winston is (+700) to be the next quarterback of the Steelers.
Bridgewater, 29, has been a journeyman across the league and was in Denver last year, while Trubisky was the backup to Josh Allen in Buffalo. Trubisky was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and was a massive failure with the Bears. The Bears could have had Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson but reached with selecting Trubisky. Perhaps a fresh start for Trubisky could help turn his career around. However, it's very unlikely that he will ever live up to his No. 2 overall selection. In my opinion, Winston or Trubisky is the Steelers' best bet in regards to a cheap free-agent quarterback. Bridgewater has his moments, but he's often inconsistent. He started off the 2021 season in Denver hot but faded as the season went on.
Along with the Steelers, the Commanders and Saints are also interested in Trubisky, according to Jordan Schultz.
"Bills LOVED having him - and several execs told me Mitch is viewed as a starting QB right now," Schultz said.
Schultz also said that many around the league view Trubisky's fourth season/lack of development with the Bears as a Matt Nagy problem and that sitting a year in Buffalo has helped him, both on the field and in preparation.
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