the aftermath of that game on Sunday night. That didn't quite
go the way that I thought it was. I thought the Steelers
would be preparing to play the Titans this week.
I was wrong. I admit it. I'll take it. I own it. Here's my
Tomlin from yesterday meeting with the media and talking
about his team's plans at quarterback. Now that
Ben Roethlisberger is by all appearances, moving on
is the organization operating under the assumption, that Ben
will not be
Excuse me.
Play next year. And do you think Mason and, or Dwayne has
consist ready to be an everyday starting quarterback in this
league, you know, we are proceeding with that assumption
both guys, Mason and Duane of had their moments, but
they'll have to prove
that right now, you know, all options are on the table,
but those decisions are interrelated based on our Global needs
and the totality of those global needs and
you know,
I enjoy working with Kevin this time of Because we just, you
know,
we speak plain English,
you know, we have to improve our football team. There are
two major ways that you can, you do it,
you do it to free agency and you do it through the draft.
Yes, they do. Oh, there's a little bit of a tell there.
I wouldn't have expected that. I enjoy working with Kevin this
time here. I really enjoy. I enjoy
working with Kevin this time of year. Although Kevin culprit is
one of the best jobs in foot tap under down, understated
doesn't self-promote himself as we would say.
And and very well could be pulling the train into
the station in Pittsburgh. There was reporting not that long ago
that right. He will retire after the draft or at least
leave the team, you know, plenty of people retire from
the Steelers and
For somewhere else, Bruce Arians retired,
ten years ago and became coach of the year as the
offensive coordinator interim. Coach of the Colts
that next season. So,
beware retirement from Pittsburgh. It could just be
a fancy way of pack up your stuff and get out of here regardless,
though. Regardless,
the big takeaway for me.
He was asked, have Mason Rudolph and Dwayne has can
shown, they can be everyday starters,
and the answer that question was not. Yes,
and we've seen Seen enough for Mason Rudolph to know. We
talked about this the other day. Yeah, right. It can't be
Mason Rudolph.
It cannot be Mason Rudolph. Maybe it could be Dwayne
Haskins. I don't know. He was never able to supplant Rudolph
is the backup this year. It can't be Mason, Rudolph. Please
tell me you've got a better plan
than that. Reminds me of
remember in A Few Good Men. When
when Jack Nicholson says to Tom Cruise, please tell me, you
know, these these marines are on trial for their lives,
please tell me you have a, their lawyer has a better plan
than a phone, but while phone,
Or whatever the line was, but you got to have a better plan
than Mason Rudolph. Mason. Rudolph is the phone bill on
which Tom Cruise was resting the fate of two marines.
I don't disagree with you there. I mean, I really don't. I mean,
you know, I think our thoughts are very similar as far as when
it comes down to Mason Rudolph. Yeah. Again, solid backup
quarterback, you know, when your quarterback gets banged
up, you might need him to start for a game or come in at
a game and run the offense. Sure,
but is he the guy you want running your offense,
consistently in a 17-game season? I don't see that
I don't you know again, I don't see through the time. We've
seen Mason Rudolph when Big Ben has gotten
hurt. I don't see any special attributes about his game,
really. He's got some size. Certainly.
It's a below average NFL arm, when you talk about the power,
the strength, the accuracy, everything that goes, along
with throwing the football. In my opinion, is a little bit
below average. So
that's where I can't. Imagine Pittsburgh getting behind that
and I look at Pittsburgh. And so many ways to and even though
it wasn't easy, this Year,
there's still some,
you know, pieces on that roster right now. That's speak and say
we can still win now. Like we're not that far off. We've
talked about this a little bit and to me that's where
I Envision. Somebody else, aak someone else other than
Mason Rudolph be in there in Pittsburgh. And I think they're
going to try to make a play in my heart of hearts. Few people,
I talk to around the league. You know, I think there is that
thought that Pittsburgh might make a play for a major
quarterback this year. I know, I told
you that That yesterday. I certainly don't think it's
going to be Mason Rudolph. Dwayne Haskins has some
potential Mike we saw some of that last last summer
where we went. Wow a few times
but I think he's still raw and I don't imagine them wanted to
hand the keys to the Ferrari over to him either. So
I think at the end of the day they're going to be looking for
a new quarterback there. Somebody outside
the organization.
First of all, it's not quite a Ferrari at this point. No, it's
not. Not quite a Ferrari. No, you're right.
Like a top maybe a Mazda.
Yeah. - sure. Yeah. A Ferrari? Yeah, got a ways to go
to juice up the engine,
but you're touching on the thing that we talked about
earlier. This week. The Cris Collinsworth was hinting at
on Sunday night. Somewhat knowing re qu the
Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tomlin,
Mutual googly eyes gift where and I actually use that
as the call to action on Twitter dial-up, peacock and
Sirius XM 85 today.
That's, that's the guy that I
Got the impression Collinsworth was talking about on Sunday
night and really would that not be something if that's what
the Steelers do. It doesn't fit with their history. It doesn't
fit with their entire concept of team building, but man. Hey,
they had a long lean 20
years between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger. And
yes, they got to a Super Bowl somehow in 1995 and they were
contenders from most of that stretch somehow without
High-end quarterback, they know what it's like
to not have a high-end quarterback,
and the game has changed
used to be. You didn't have a shot
at getting an Aaron Rodgers
or any other established
successful quarterback. The quarterback Carousel didn't
spin the way it does. Now, you were stuck with who you
drafted. And if a guy was available in free agency, it
was because he wasn't any good.
So, or because somebody was willing to pay a ridiculously,
obscene some like the Jets did for Neil O'Donnell. He became
available after the 95 season after he threw two
interceptions
in the Super Bowl
to Larry Brown. Wide-open. Larry Brown. Thought he
thought he'd already signed with the Cowboys. So
it's a different world and it would be encouraging for
Steelers fans. If the Steelers pivot to the opportunities that
are out there and maybe it is Aaron Rodgers. I mean, yes,
I doubt it'll be that name. You know, that's not the name that
went through my
head. When I heard Chris Collins were talking about
that. Wow. I thought we were on the same page. It was Aaron
Rodgers. Who are you thinking? I was I was really thinking
maybe DeShaun Watson her Russell Wilson just because I'm
more in the I'm in the camp and I
thought you were in this Camp to of like
I just think Rogers is
is going to be in Green Bay. I think he realized. I think he
does need to stay. Yeah, I think you need to stay. I think
it's there's too many things in place right now for me to think
he's going to leave that situation and go somewhere
else, especially when it looks like he's on the cusp of
the second MVP. He's made a few comments about, you know, he
bridged the gap between guten coups and there's been more
Ocean Marc Murphy, it seems like things have settled down
and like we've always said he seems to really like his
teammates and coaches and I think at the end of the day,
that's where he'll be.
Now Russell, Wilson Wilson,
DeShaun, Watson mum, I could see that happening. I can
again, you know, I know a lot of people think, like Russell
Wilson because he's married to Sierra's going to be looking
for some, you know, big city,
you know, whether it be Miami or New York or something of
that nature,
you know, Pittsburgh might not fit that mold, but I still
think Pittsburgh might be the Organization that catches a guy
like Russell Wilson's. I if he does make this power play to
get out of Seattle, you know, again, it's a fan and it's
a fan base that's all over the country.
Other than the Cowboys, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Being good
at a 425 game or Sunday Night Football. It's big-time ratings
because of their National following.
So I could see that happening and I could also see a guy like
Mike Tomlin weathering, some of the bad press to trade, for
Deshaun, Watson and dealing with that situation
and putting it all together. Together and make it work. So
those are certainly two names that I think about when I think
of a guys that they could make a play for
first of all, it's not a Tomlin call. That's one thing. That's
right that you really don't focus on much with the Steelers
Art Rooney. The second is in charge of that team. He's got
the ladle deep in the stew, just like John Mara does, but
because it works in Pittsburgh for the most part. He doesn't
get called out for it. This is a Rooney call and they went
through some dark times
with Ben Roethlisberger in 2010. Those have all been forgotten.
It's all water under the bridge but it was as bad as it's ever
been. Yeah, between quarterback and city in 2010. Right? And
you're stepping into this DeShaun, Watson mess with 22,
active civil lawsuits
with a Criminal prosecution that has yet to be resolved.
And you know, the problem is
once we finish the coaching Carousel and it's still
spinning high-speed with none of the eight, vacancies filled
and for all we know another vacancy or two still to come.
Once that's It's done. Then the quarterback, Carousel starts to
spin and we've seen trades done in late January before not
officially done, but done
unofficially. You got to start figuring out what you're going
to do. You got to start coming up with your plan. You got to
start tracking down a quarterback, if there's a trade
to be had and well and Rogers have
don't to yeah. Well,
but, but I'm saying I'm Roger don't believe the NFC North
Node. Only the NFC North. Yes. Don't go to the AFC North.
Don't go to the AFC West.
Maybe miles Simmons and I were talking about this yesterday.
Maybe the Colts, maybe,
maybe if they move on from Carson Wentz. I hadn't thought
of that. It was a good idea by Miles because the AFC South not
like the North or the west, but
you're sat in the NFC North. I get into new head coaches
and they got Dan Campbell in year two.
Yeah, there's no franchise quarterback there. No true
franchise quarterback there to worry about at least not yet.
No. No, you're right. He's as warm and cozy in a dominant
position up there in Green Bay right now. And again, I think
they got a lot of young players still in there.
Football team to where you go, it's not like oh, whoa down
there. In the distance, Green Bay is going to fall apart here
in the next year or two. That's the good thing. There's
an infusion of
you know, middle-aged younger pliers to where you can look at
Green Bay and go. I think they're going to be here for
a little while. Let alone the point you make, which I think
is very real,
and always on a quarterback's mind when they're thinking
about making a change, or contract situations come up.
They look about, hey, look, they look at what's our
division. You know,
how easy is it to get through.
Then I get in the playoffs, everybody.
Better of me because we're in the playoffs and I'm a playoff
quarterback. That's certainly got to be a part of
the equation. But the other part of this to Mike that I think just
jumps out to me is like the Steelers
head. Maybe they just kind of sit back and see how this goes
Russell Wilson, DeShaun Watson, you know, Jimmy Garoppolo for
all we know quarterbacks like that. Maybe the unforeseen ones
that we don't see on the radar right now
that might be released or
traded or let go because of some of the action or movement
because of the draft. Maybe there's somebody out there that
I'm not thinking of Of, you know, along the lines of like
a Jimmy Garoppolo, you know what I'm saying? We're
yeah, there's obviously a guy in the, in the wings there
waiting to take over.
You know, you hear rumors of like, Oh Derek Carr, they might
try to make a play for Russell Wilson to Las Vegas. Raiders.
Again. I haven't heard anything substantial to believe that or
know anybody that knows anything like that. But like
it's something like that did happen. Then there's Derek Carr
on the street, or maybe you can make a trade for him, for
less than market value because they do want to get some
Superstar quarterback. So maybe They just got to wait back and
see which way the wind blows in this conversation. To
somebody might fall on their lap. We've seen that happen. A
lot here. The last few years in the NFL.