HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 01: Kenny Pickett #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers attempts a pass during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
If there is one thing that has been holding the Pittsburgh Steelers back in recent seasons, it’s their quarterback play since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. The team has consistently been struggling to find quality play at the game’s most important position.

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II is commenting on the team’s quarterback landscape.

KDKA TV’s Bob Pompeani asked Rooney in a one-on-one interview whether the Steelers would be willing to trade for a current quarterback this offseason. While Rooney didn’t say yes, he didn’t rule out the idea.
“Well, you know, as we sit here early February, we’re not closing the door on anything. We have a lot of evaluations to go through and we’ll go through all the options and do what we need to do to be better this coming season,” Rooney told KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh.

“The next step, number one, would look like more points, week-in and week-out,” Rooney continued. “Just being a more effective offense, continuing to do some of the things we were able to do this year in terms of ball control, being able to run effectively, but then add on top of that, scoring more touchdowns.”

His comments seem to suggest he and head coach Mike Tomlin are not on the same page as he said something different in his season-ending media conference. Asked last month if his starting quarterback for 2024 was currently on the roster, Tomlin said a definitive “yes.”

Kenny Pickett will have two years remaining on his contract starting with the coming season. Mitchell Trubisky remains on the books for the same length of time unless something changes.

Mason Rudolph, who started the final three regular-season games and the playoff loss at Buffalo, is a pending free agent.

Tomlin holds the record for most consecutive non-losing seasons to begin a coaching career with 17 and has never had a losing season.

However, the Steelers currently have a five-game postseason losing streak. The team last won a playoff game in January 2017. The seven-year playoff victory drought is the longest in Steelers’ history since the team recorded its first playoff win in 1972.