Andy Dalton is a free agent, which is great news for these teams

It might already be a crowded quarterback room, but the Pittsburgh Steelers may want to entertain bringing in the former signal-caller of a hated rival into the building. While it will be Ben Roethlisberger‘s show for the next year or so, Dalton could become the Steelers’ bridge quarterback from Roethlisberger to someone better a few years down the line.

What we saw last season was Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges aren’t high-level NFL starting quarterbacks. Both won a handful of games, but didn’t provide the Steelers offense the consistency a three-time Pro Bowler like Dalton could. Adding one of the greatest quarterbacks in Bengals franchise history will only intensify this hostile AFC North rivalry. It’ll get even nastier.

Dalton at his core is a very cerebral player. He’s a hard worker and a competitive guy. While he may not have the physical traits of Roethlisberger or a presumptive future first-round pick, he did win 70 games as the Bengals’ starter over nine seasons. You can’t use a lack of arm strength as an excuse not to sign him when Dalton has only known the harsh AFC North climate in his NFL career.

Another reason the Steelers should look into bringing Dalton aboard is so that none of the teams vying for a playoff spot in the AFC can get him. If he were to go to teams like the Denver Broncos or the Tennessee Titans, he could come in and win a few games in place of Drew Lock and Ryan Tannehill, respectively. It’s an arms race in the AFC and the Steelers would be wise to load up.