(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Steelers president Art Rooney II told members of the Pittsburgh media on Friday that finding a mobile quarterback to replace Ben Roethlisberger is “something that would be desirable” and all options will be considered.
Rooney even said mobile quarterbacks “are the wave of the future.” Quarterback mobility is trending across the league, just look at all the young star quarterbacks -- Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, etc.
Rooney echoed what Mike Tomlin has been preaching throughout the 2021 season ... Quarterback mobility is a must-have in today's game.
"Man, quarterback mobility is valued," Tomlin said at his season-ending press conference on Jan. 18. "Not only by me but by everyone. It’s just a component of today’s game, and increasingly so."
Rooney said the mobile quarterback that the Steelers are desiring is someone who buys time and not just a run-first type of quarterback.
“The other thing that’s desirable is someone who can read a defense and complete a pass downfield,” Rooney said via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “There’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle. You don’t always get someone who meets all the criteria you want.”
Rooney said Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins will compete for the starting quarterback position in 2022, but they're keeping their options open.
"We won't close any doors," Rooney said. "We're early in the process. We have Mason and Haskins already on the roster, and they'll compete. We will explore other options."
Rudolph is the favorite by oddsmakers to be the Steelers' starting quarterback in 2022, but Rudolph doesn't have the type of quarterback mobility that Rooney and Tomlin are looking for. He'll make a few plays with his legs here and there, but he doesn't extend plays consistently.
“We’ll be looking at the other options,” Rooney said. “Like any position, we want to put the best roster on the field and the best quarterback on the field for us next year.
"You have to take advantage of whatever opportunity you have to get the best quarterback you can find. You don’t always have the luxury saying, ‘I want A, B and C’ and go to the grocery store and order a quarterback. We’ll evaluate all the options we have.”