3 quarterbacks who would be benched or cut this offseason if money was no object
The Super Bowl just concluded, and after yet another double-digit playoff comeback, Patrick Mahomes again reminded football fans around the world why it's so important to have a great quarterback. The Chiefs have now won two consecutive championships, leaving the other 31 NFL teams to take a hard look in the mirror this offseason.
The salary cap is the NFL's great equalizer, meaning every move a team makes must be done with the cap in mind. Want to make your quarterback the highest-paid in the league? Like Mahomes, he better be worth it, because now you can't afford someone like Tyreek Hill for him to throw to. This is why teams like the 49ers can find success after uncovering a gem like Brock Purdy late in the draft, as having him on a rookie contract allowed John Lynch to stock the rest of his roster with an abundance of talent.
Just as hitting on a rookie quarterback is one of the great cheat codes an NFL team can take advantage of, there's no more debilitating scenario in the league than committing huge money to a quarterback, only for that player not to live up to expectations. Not only that, trading or cutting an overpaid signal-caller destroys a team's cap, shutting off nearly all paths to contention.
Not every team in the league is happy with its current quarterback situation, and if the salary cap was no object, I have no doubt that a few would love to hit the reset button and start fresh. Let's look at three teams that would love to wave a magic wand and make their quarterback disappear.
3. Kenny Pickett has two years remaining on his contract, but the Steelers are already looking at a future without him in it
While Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett isn't making nearly the same amount as the next two quarterbacks on our list, he still has two years and over $8 million remaining on the rookie contract he received after Pittsburgh selected him with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 draft.
Pickett has been shielded from the brunt of the criticism levied at the Steelers offense from the Terrible Towel-waving faithful, but he no longer has offensive coordinator Matt Canada to use as a human meat shield. While the hire of Arthur Smith to take Canada's place has been met with much derision after his failed time in Atlanta, it doesn't change the fact that this upcoming season will be a make-or-break one for Pickett's future in the Steel City.
Pickett has started 24 games in two seasons with the Steelers, and to call his numbers pedestrian would be an insult to those who enjoy taking a nice walk. He has as many interceptions thrown as touchdowns (13) and his average of just over 186 yards per game is among the lowest numbers in the league during that time period.
With longtime coach Mike Tomlin finally feeling the heat after seven years without a playoff win, rumors have begun to circulate that the Steelers are in the market for a veteran to compete with Pickett for the starting job. The team recently parted ways with backup Mitch Trubisky, and since the hiring of Smith, they've been linked to his old quarterback in Tennessee, Ryan Tannehill.
Other credible ideas have been floated, such as signing Russell Wilson after he is inevitably cut by the Broncos, or trading with the Bears for Justin Fields. Pickett will be on the roster this upcoming season with a chance to start, but these rumors tell me that the Steelers would probably move on if they could.