National Football League

Why Steelers are open to selecting a QB in NFL Draft

Updated Apr. 23, 2024 12:25 p.m. ET

Even though they've already added a pair of notable quarterbacks this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers could be in the market for another one.

Steelers general manager Omar Khan said there's a slim chance that his team selects a quarterback with its first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but didn't rule out possibly grabbing one beyond that, either.

"I think it's not realistic that we'll be taking a quarterback in Round 1, if that's what you're asking, no," Khan told reporters at the Steelers' pre-draft press conference. "There are some good players there, and I wouldn't close the door on anything. If there's an opportunity to improve that room, obviously. We'll look at it, but like you said, we've got three guys who are on one-year deals and we have to be open to it."

Will Fields or Russell Wilson start for the Steelers?

Pittsburgh has already made extensive changes to its quarterback room this offseason. It signed Russell Wilson after his release from the Denver Broncos and traded for Justin Fields, as the Chicago Bears are likely to draft Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in Thursday's draft. The Steelers made those moves after trading Kenny Pickett, letting Mason Rudolph walk in free agency and releasing Mitchell Trubisky as they received inconsistent quarterback play in 2023 despite making the playoffs.

But as Khan mentioned, Wilson and Fields are only under contract for 2024. They're also both arguably reclamation projects at this point, with Wilson joining the Steelers on the veteran's minimum while they only gave up a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Wilson put up better numbers in his second season in Denver, throwing for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but was benched for the final two games of the season as the team planned to release him. Fields, meanwhile, threw for 2,652 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions with 657 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in 13 games, showing promise toward the end of the season. Obviously, it wasn't enough for the Fields to keep his job in Chicago, though, as the Bears went 5-8 in games he started last season.

The Steelers won't be on the clock until the 20th overall pick in Thursday's first round, making it highly unlikely they'll be able to draft one of the top quarterback prospects (Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy) without having to trade up. They might also be out of the range to select Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix, who've also been rumored to possibly be first-round picks with each going in the top 15 in FOX Sports' Joel Klatt's most recent mock draft.

Pittsburgh already has a third-string quarterback in town, signing Kyle Allen earlier this offseason. But it could reasonably draft a quarterback in the middle-to-later rounds as a possible development project. Spencer Rattler, Michael Pratt, Jordan Travis and Joe Milton are among the notable quarterbacks who are expected to hear their names get called in the draft on Day 2 and 3.

As for the oddsboard, at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Steelers' odds to select a quarterback with their first pick sit at a long +6000. They are favored to select an offensive lineman (-390), followed by a wide receiver (+600) and cornerback (+750).

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