3 Kenny Pickett replacements Steelers should covet, 2 to avoid like the plague

Steelers should steer clear of Jimmy Garoppolo despite his reputation

The Las Vegas Raiders have handed the offense over to rookie Aidan O'Connell, which means the writing is on the wall for Jimmy Garoppolo. He was able to coast on the Josh McDaniels relationship to begin the season, but the Raiders are clearly ready to move in a new direction under Antonio Pierce (or his eventual replacement), which means Garoppolo will hit 2024 free agency in need of a new home.

At 32 years old, Garoppolo has established a fair amount of respect around the NFL. He was a top-shelf backup to Tom Brady in New England, before becoming a winning starter under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers. Garoppolo has a career record of 43-20, highlighted by that magical 13-3 campaign in 2019.

Unfortunately, Garoppolo's days of so-called magic are in the rearview mirror. In six starts this season, Garoppolo has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The idea behind Garoppolo has been consistency over explosiveness. He has never been a big-play machine, but he was always lauded for his ability to manage a game and make quick decisions in the pocket. When such a player starts to commit more turnovers than touchdowns, it's time to hit the reset button.

Garoppolo may have a future as a prestige backup, but he's not a starting QB any team should bank on. The Steelers can win games the hard way with a below-average QB under center, but if that's the goal, the team should simply stick with Pickett. If the Steelers want to raise their ceiling and boost their offense, it will take a serious commitment to arm talent and meaningful improvement at QB — not just a veteran with a flashy name.

Pittsburgh should avoid the Garoppolo experience at all costs.