For 18 seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers coaches and front office were on cruise control when it came to the quarterback position. Ben Roethlisberger was the literal definition of a franchise quarterback and is headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2027.
But for all the good Roethlisberger brought including three Super Bowls and two Super Bowl championships, he did make the team lazy when it came to quarterback development.
Even when the Steelers drafted quarterbacks while Roethlisberger was on the roster, their development was never a priority. Guys like Landry Jones, Joshua Dobbs and Mason Rudolph as the top examples of guys who probably had more potential coming out of college than they were ever able to show with the Steelers.
But far and away the best example was how the team handled Kenny Pickett. From over-drafting him to pulling him in and out of the lineup, Pickett was doomed from the beginning.
Pittsburgh is trying to head that off this season with Russell Wilson who should need no more prep than acclimation to the system. But what happens next year? Do they try to keep Wilson and extend this out further, try to keep Justin Fields and develop him, or start over yet again?
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