Running back Najee Harris listed off quarterbacks he’d like to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers next season, and none of them are in-house candidates.
It was long expected that Ben Roethlisberger would be done with the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2021 season. This week, the longtime starting quarterback announced that he was retiring after 18 years in the NFL. Now, the Steelers begin their search for their starting quarterback.
During an appearance on CBS Sports HQ, Steelers running back Najee Harris was asked who he would like to be the starting quarterback in 2022. Harris named Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Garoppolo, but did not name quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins, who are both on the roster.
Najee Harris mentioned 3 QB’s whenever he was asked “who he wants to be the #Steelers QB next year”
— Mike Nicastro (@MikedUpSports1) January 28, 2022
Not once did he say the words Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins.
This is now a trend from that locker room. pic.twitter.com/p9PVBaiTcP
Najee Harris names quarterbacks he’d like to start for Steelers in 2022
Those are certainly glaring omissions. But, the reported plans prior to the regular-season ending was that the Steelers were going to have a competition between Rudolph, Haskins and a 2022 draft pick to see who would win the starting job.
As for the options Harris listed, there is uncertainty surrounding Watson, considering his multiple civil lawsuits for sexual misconduct and the Houston Texans’ high asking price in trade talks. After the Green Bay Packers’ elimination by the San Francisco 49ers, the NFL world waits for a decision from Rodgers whether he wants to remain with the team, play elsewhere or ultimately retire. Finally, Garoppolo has one more year remaining on his contract, and the 49ers used the third-overall pick in 2021 on Trey Lance to be their quarterback of the future.
Quarterback is not the only change the Steelers are dealing with this offseason. They are in search for a new defensive coordinator and a new general manager with Keith Butler and Kevin Colbert stepping away, respectively.
It will be interesting what the Steelers decide to do at the QB1 spot on the depth chart entering the 2022 season.