Steelers Circled as Possible Team to Land Baker Mayfield

When quarterback questions arise, the speculation begins from every angle. This week has already seen Mason Rudolph against Kenny Pickett become a big debate, but some analysts are even looking past that, going to bat for Russell Wilson to come to the team. The Steelers are right there.

The Steelers have 8/1 odds to be Wilson’s team in Week 1 of the 2024 season, according to odds posted by Bet Online on Thursday. That’s tied for the fifth-best odds. Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky are both under contract to the team for 2024. The Steelers have played three different quarterback and appear set to start Mason Rudolph for the second straight week this Sunday. They enter Week 17 at 27th in the league in passing.

But Mike Florio has a new name that no one has talked about — Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is on a cheap one-year deal with the Buccaneers and is set to hit free agency. While he has talked about sticking with the Buccaneers, Florio sees the Steelers as a team that could disrupt that idea.

“Again, he has said he wants to stay in Tampa Bay,” Florio wrote. “Other teams looking for a starter could disrupt that, whether it’s the Patriots or the Steelers (if they decide Kenny Pickett isn’t the answer) or the Raiders or the Broncos (if they move on from Russell Wilson) or the Vikings (if Kirk Cousins leaves) or the Seahawks (if they choose to move on from Geno Smith).”

Mayfield is leading the Buccaneers on a surge late in the season and seems likely to lead them to the playoffs and a division title. He has played well, despite ups and downs throughout his career, and obviously, the team knows him from his time in Cleveland. That signing would be an interesting one, but it all depends on how much Mayfield would want and, more than that, how much the team still believes in Pickett.