An NFL insider made the perfect outside option for the Pittsburgh Steelers to bring in back-up Kenny Pickett.
The Pittsburgh Steelers believe they have a quarterback for the future in Kenny Pickett, their first-round pick last year. General Manager Omar Khan said the same. Despite Pickett’s handling of concussions that forced him to miss some time, he shone at the end of the season, notably staging two game-winning carries against the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens in Weeks 16 and 17, respectively.
With Pickett being the man under the Steelers’ center, the opportunity now is to bring in the guns and bolster their overall roster to make the push for the Super Bowl title. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to do that would be to move on from Mitch Trubisky, who’s $10.63 million for the cap in 2023. But it doesn’t look like they’ll do that, based on comments from owner Art Rooney and Khan.
The Athletic’s Mark Capule wrote a piece (subscription required) about the logical free agent options the Steelers could bring in this season for each position. In Quarterback, Capule lists an option that the Steelers could play as their third-string quarterback, and that is none other than Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshaw.
Gardner Minshaw, the Steelers’ backup quarterback?
“With Art Rooney II and Khan showing public support for Trubsky and his return, the ideal – if unlikely – scenario would be the addition of a third man like Menshaw,” Capoli wrote. “He started 24 games over four seasons, two with Jacksonville and the other two in Philadelphia. Assistant General Manager Andy Weddell spent six years with the Eagles before being hired by the Steelers in May.”
As Capule writes, bringing in Mencho seemed unlikely, especially with the Steelers’ positive comments about Trubisky. But, the Steelers will have a void at the QB3 position, as Mason Rudolph will hit free agency. Could they choose to bring in Minshew as the third man? Or do they prefer to go down the midfielder route with Pickett and Trubisky? Or maybe there is a deal being made with Trubisky and Minshew that could be the backup?
Minshew made a name for himself during his short time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his rookie season, he had a 6-6 record in 12 starts for the team. Through the 14 games he played, Minshew threw for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions, while completing 60.6 percent of his passes.
After two seasons with the Jaguars, Minshew was dealt to the Eagles. He had two starts in 2021, earning a 1-1 record, with wins over the New York Jets. Last season, Minshew started in place of Jalen Hurts, who suffered a sprained shoulder, but lost both games against the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.
In his two years with the Eagles, Minshew recorded 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions on a completion percentage of 62.5.
Having Minshew as a backup would be ideal for the Steelers. While Minshew was a bit flustered last season, he has shown he can put up solid numbers when given chances. Will that actually happen? That remains to be seen, considering the Steelers’ comments about retaining Tropixie for the 2023 season.
