ESPN reveals biggest offseason priority for the Pittsburgh Steelers

Now that the NFL regular season is over and we are at least through the wild card round of the playoffs, there is a clear understanding for most teams on what they need to do in the offseason. Some teams need to retool on offense, while others need to revamp their defense. And a few more definitely could use a complete overhaul of their front office management.

The team over at ESPN has put together a brief look at what teams around the NFL need to do in the offseason. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s not just as simple as finding an heir to the relinquished throne of QB1 by Ben Roethlisberger.

“Quarterback is the obvious answer, but it goes beyond that. The Steelers not only need to find the successor to Ben Roethlisberger, they also need to find a line that can both protect him and open up the run game for 2021 first-round pick Najee Harris. There were flashes of success on the ground this season, but the Steelers still ranked 28th in the league in both total rushing yards and rushing yards per game. The future of the organization will largely be dictated by the next Steelers quarterback, but who they put in front of him matters just as much.” wrote Brooke Pryor.

Diontae Johnson backs Rudolph to become Steelers next starting QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an important task ahead of them this offseason. They must replace longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger is likely to retire, meaning that the Steelers will have to look elsewhere for a new starting quarterback.

Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson knows that transitioning to a new quarterback will be a process. Whoever that quarterback is, Johnson wants to build a strong connection with him. But Johnson has one leader in mind, and that is Steelers backup quarterback Mason Rudolph.

“I see a lot. Mason is a great player, great quarterback,” Johnson said, via Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper. “He’s smart. Playing with him my rookie year, he’s shown he can win us games. In those tough moments, too, he can make plays. He’s relaxed. And at times on the sideline this year, he was always on it, telling us what to look for, what coverages they mostly were in. Just throwing out plays we could use to beat certain coverages and whatnot. So, he’s a great player. I’m sure he’s going to work his tail off to compete for the starting job. I’m pulling for him.”

Rudolph is a third-round pick by the Steelers in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State. He saw the most action of his career in 2019, attempting 283 passes and throwing for 1,765 yards with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In his three-year NFL career, Rudolph has completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 2,366 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Dwayne Haskins, a former Ohio State star, could contend for the Steelers’ quarterback job next season as well. Haskins is the 15th overall pick by Washington in 2019. He spent this season as Pittsburgh’s third string quarterback.