Steelers Not Alone in Wanting More from 2022 QB Addition

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ struggles to replace Ben Roethlisberger four weeks into the 2022 season have been well-noted with Plan A Mitch Trubisky getting benched after three and a half games. Plan B Kenny Pickett’s tenure starts in earnest this Sunday.

The Steelers were the first team that made a quarterback change willingly this season, but they’re far from the worst off when it comes to teams that tried to replace quarterbacks this offseason, as anyone that watched Thursday Night Football can testify to.

Indianapolis Colts free agent Matt Ryan and Denver Broncos trade target Russell Wilson both stunk up the joint while the Colts needed overtime to win 12-9. Yes, Thursday night games are frequently poorly played, but Ryan, Wilson and plenty of other new passers have struggled to open the 2022 season, and the Steelers are far from the only ones unsatisfied with the early returns.

Through three and a half games, Trubisky maintained a 73.7 passer rating. The Steelers are paying Trubisky $3.7 million this year, plus some bonuses that it now looks like he will not earn.

Very few of the big quarterback acquisitions this offseason are looking much better right now. 

Wilson has an 82.5 passer rating through five games. He is counting $17 million toward Denver’s salary cap this season in the first of a five-year, $242 million contract that came after the Broncos traded first- and second-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks to land Wilson.

The Cleveland Browns similarly paid big for their quarterback upgrade, sending three first-round picks to the Houston Texans and paying him $230 million guaranteed. Watson is suspended for the first 11 games of the season due to multiple sexual assault allegations.

Ryan has a 79.8 passer rating. He cost the Colts a third-round pick and will make $18.7 million this season.

Marcus Mariota went to Atlanta. He makes a relatively cheap $4.25 million this season t and $6.75 million in guaranteed money on a two-year deal, but has a 76.9 quarterback rating. Baker Mayfield will make $4.86 million from the Carolina Panthers this season and has a 73.7 passer rating.

Of the top 15 NFL quarterbacks in passer rating right now, all of them are playing for the same team they played for in 2021.

The best of the free agent additions? Jacoby Brisssett, signed to be a backup in Cleveland, has an 87.1 passer rating with a $4.65 million cap hit.

The Steelers did not get the results they were looking for out of their Trubisky experiment, but compared to the other teams seeking quarterbacks this offseason, at least they didn’t pay a lot to get that below-the-line performance.