Should the Steelers Sign Jameis Winston?

Quarterback Room

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation in 2019 was, well, not ideal. Ben Roethlisberger went down during a week 2 matchup with the Seahawks that sidelined him the remainder of the season. Mason Rudolph was subpar at best when he first entered as the new starter. A four-interception performance in a Week 11 loss to the Browns followed with a helmet smash from Myles Garrett directed Rudolph to the bench. Devlin “Duck” Hodges captured the hearts of Steelers fans early as his replacement, becoming the first undrafted rookie quarterback to win his first three starts since 1987 when Ed Rubbert did so with the Redskins. However, the “Duck” train quickly came to a stop as Hodges tossed just one touchdown and six interceptions over his last three games, all resulting in losses. Pittsburgh finished 8-8 and missed the postseason with many believing they would have been in had Roethlisberger been healthy.

Roethlisberger is 38 and coming off major surgery on his throwing elbow. It is far from a guarantee that Roethlisberger plays an entire season with the Steelers in 2020. Reinjury is certainly a possibility. This could also be one setback that Big Ben won’t be able to get up from given his age. The Steelers still have a very talented team around him though, especially on the defensive side of the football. GM Kevin Colbert is trying to win now as well, evident with the trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick last season. If Roethlisberger goes down or simply is not the Big Ben of old, the Steelers need options. Jameis Winston could be one of those options.

Sign Him!

Some feel that Rudolph could still be the man in Pittsburgh after Roethlisberger. Many saw plenty of Rudolph and Hodges though and have come to the conclusion that they are not the answer once Ben calls it quits. Regardless, this team needs someone in the quarterback room that can keep the offense afloat should Ben go down again. Marcus Spears from ESPN certainly thinks Winston could be the guy the Steelers turn to in case of emergency. 

The guy is still just 26 years old, so it’s not like it’s impossible for him to get better. Granted, a fifth-year quarterback should already be fairly deep into their developmental cycle. This is especially true of number one overall draft picks. Still, Jameis was never given the luxury of being able to just sit and watch a potential Hall of Fame quarterback for an extended amount of time. Going to Pittsburgh would give Winston that opportunity to learn.

Winston is similar to Roethlisberger in some ways as well. They are both big, strong quarterbacks who take their fair share of chances downfield. It wouldn’t be a seamless transition, but Winston could certainly be the guy to take the reigns of the Steelers offense once Roethlisberger no longer can.

Please Stay Away

Steelers fans should also wince a bit at the thought of Winston under center. Yeah, he can sling the football around the yard. But those interception numbers are impossible to look away from, and the Rudolph-Hodges combo produced just 18 touchdowns compared to 17 interceptions in 2019. That’s right on par with Winston’s 33-30 touchdown to interception ratio. Roethlisberger throws plenty of interceptions, but not at that rate. Yes, you need a replacement if you’re the Steelers. But Mike Tomlin put in Hodges for Rudolph after stating Hodges “has not killed us”. Well, Duck did just that down the final stretch of the season that cost Pittsburgh a playoff spot. Turning the ball over at a high rate is simply unacceptable for teams looking to contend. Pittsburgh believes they are in a contending spot, so why bring in another QB who will “kill” the team?

There are no “Killer B’s” left in Pittsburgh outside of Roethlisberger. The offense is no longer the high-flying superpower it was with Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. This Steelers offense is not designed to overcome a high volume of turnovers. That’s practically unavoidable with Winston under center, so it may be in the team’s best interest to look elsewhere for backup options.

Verdict

I think it’s worth the Steelers time and money to take a flyer on Winston. The turnovers will be an issue, but you face that problem anyways if you go into the season with Rudolph and Hodges as the only backup options anyways. So, why not go out and get a guy with a much higher ceiling, and floor for that matter?

It’s a dangerous game Colbert would be playing if he didn’t find a better backup for Ben. Winston is not a pot of gold by any stretch, but he instantly improves the backup situation from a year ago. 

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