The Pittsburgh Steelers have been trying to figure out their future at the quarterback position ever since the legendary Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2021 NFL season. Pittsburgh made quick work of trying to find his replacement, selecting Kenny Pickett in the first-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. So far, Pickett has not met expectations. He has been able to win games, which allows fans to remain optimistic his entire game will improve. He's also won a lot of bettor's money this season. With all games now legal in Pennsylvania you can do all your PA sports betting from your couch.
AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar
Kenny Pickett (#8) scrambles out of the pocket against the Tennessee Titans.
Steelers Questioned By Former NFL Quarterback
In Roethlisberger's last season in 2021, the Steelers quarterback room included him, Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins, and Josh Dobbs. Roethlisberger was obviously the starter with Rudolph being his back-up, Haskins was inactive for the entire season besides one game, and Dobbs was placed on injured reserve at the end of training camp. Going into the next year, the Steelers drafted Pickett and signed free agent Mitch Trubisky, while letting Dobbs walk in free agency.
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Steelers former quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Josh Dobbs.
Former NFL quarterback, Kurt Benkert, took to X on Tuesday morning to point out the mistakes the Steelers made during that offseason after Roethlisberger's retirement. Due to Dobbs' success so far this season, which has come on multiple teams, Benkert essentially suggested that it was crazy for the Steelers to decide to go with Pickett, Trubisky, or Rudolph over Dobbs.
"A reminder that Josh Dobbs could have been the Steelers quarterback right now, but they chose Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph instead."
Dobbs entered his first season as a starting quarterback in the NFL in 2023 with the Arizona Cardinals after they traded for him from the Cleveland Browns shortly before the season began. He did lead the Cardinals to an upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 of the 2023 season, but that wound up being his lone win as he finished with a 1-7 record as a starter in Arizona.
Dobbs was once again traded right before the 2023 trade deadline, as he was dealt to the Minnesota Vikings who had just lost their starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles. Dobbs was slated to be the back-up to rookie quarterback Jaren Hall, but Hall suffered a concussion early in the game which led to Dobbs playing the rest. Dobbs came in and threw for over 150 yards, two touchdowns, and also ran in a touchdown as he led the Vikings to a victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Alli Rusco / Minnesota Vikings
Former Steelers quarterback Josh Dobbs leads the Minnesota Vikings to victory.
At the time in which Benkert is saying the Steelers made a mistake, which was the offseason prior to the 2022 NFL season, Dobbs had a total of 17 career pass attempts which resulted in zero touchdowns and one interception. He had just finished his fifth full season in the NFL, had yet to start a NFL game, and didn't even touch the field in three out of those five full seasons. No one in the league had a clue that two years later, Dobbs would end up being a mediocre bridge quarterback for a tanking franchise that would decide to trade him half way through the season.
The Steelers made the right decision drafting Pickett, and even signing Trubisky. Pickett has been one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the NFL since he was drafted. He has led seven game-winning drives or fourth quarter comebacks in his career. He has one of the highest passer ratings when it is a tight game in the fourth quarter since the start of 2022, as he is in the top three in the category with none other than Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady.
USA Today
Former Steelers quarterback Josh Dobbs is finding success in the NFL.
Dobbs is a Cinderella story. It's entertaining to watch, and Steelers fans will be cheering him on every time he is on the field. But it is an insane thing to say the Steelers should have re-signed him after 2021 rather than drafting Pickett. Pickett is a franchise quarterback, Dobbs just has extended stays at random NFL facilities every year. The two are very different. One is a career back-up, while the other is looking to quarterback the Steelers for the next decade.
What do you think of the crazy comments made by Benkert? Let us know in the comments below!
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