Steelers on trade talks with QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Pro Football Talk’s Peter King linked Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers to recently suspended quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s hard to find a free agent cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers who hasn’t been linked to this offseason. On February 19, Pro Football Talk’s Peter King identified the Steelers as a potential suitor for Jimmy Garoppolo, a player who is unable to start the regular season due to a PED suspension.
“When he goes on the road this offseason, what team is going to go after him as a starter knowing he won’t play in the first two games? Maybe in Pittsburgh? King wrote. Garoppolo suffered a concussion and back injury in the first half of the 2023 season. However, poor play when healthy led the Raiders to bench Garoppolo after Week 8.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on February 16 that the NFL suspended Garoppolo for violating the league’s policy regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Schefter wrote that Garoppolo used “prescribed medications without a valid TUE from the league.” Schefter added that the Raiders are expected to release Garoppolo this offseason.
Steelers linked to Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo Just a year ago, Garoppolo was a free agent who signed with the Raiders despite injury concerns. He finished the 2022 season on injured reserve due to a Lisfranc foot injury. The injury led the Raiders to include a waiver in his three-year, $72 million contract that stated there would be no money until he passed a physical.
Garoppolo passed his physical and started six of his team’s first eight games. But he struggled, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt. He also had seven touchdowns to nine interceptions. The Raiders will not pay Garoppolo his $11.25 million roster bonus and will release him by the fifth day of the new NFL year.
Suspension may also result in loss of base pay. The suspension could make Garoppolo a cheap commodity on the free agent market. But with Garoppolo, the Steelers get a quarterback who will be out for the first two weeks of the season. Or they could sign him after the suspension.
But obviously this is during the season. Jerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on February 17 that the Steelers are not interested in signing a quarterback starting in 2024. In an ideal world, the team would re-sign Mason Rudolph to compete for Kenny Pickett. If the Steelers can’t re-sign Rudolph, they have plenty of other options besides Garoppolo.
Peter King accuses Steelers of being ‘not interested’ in starting QB.
King was much more aware of Dulac’s report when he suggested the Steelers sign Garoppolo to start in 2024. Following his suggestion, King harshly criticized the Steelers’ projected scheme under center. “Are you coming back?” King wrote in response to Dulac’s report.
“In a division with Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Deshaun Watson, would the Steelers actually prefer going into camp with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph (if he signs with Pittsburgh as a free agent)? “That sounds like a huge misjudgment of the quarterback position.”
If the Steelers don’t make a splash with Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson, other NFL insiders will likely react the same way. Two years ago, the Seattle Seahawks were criticized for starting the season with Geno Smith and Drew Lock at quarterback. But Smith silenced the doubters by leading the Seahawks to the playoffs.
Like Smith, Rudolph seemed destined to be a backup quarterback until December 2023. But maybe he can prove to be a serviceable starter like Smith has been over the past two seasons. Of course, the Steelers have to sign Rudolph first. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Pickett show significant improvement in his third season with a player who makes better calls.
