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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton (95) warms up before playing against the Buffalo Bills in an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y.
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Quarterback controversy? At least for now, Steelers aren't picking favorites

AP

Quarterback controversy? At least for now, Steelers aren't picking favorites

Isaac Seumalo saw for himself what can happen to a team if a quarterback quandary is left unresolved.

He was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 when backup quarterback Nick Foles came off the bench to replace injured Carson Wentz with three games remaining in the regular season and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory.

Wentz was handed his starting job back the following season once he was medically cleared, but he struggled while the Eagles got off to a 5-6 start. One of his teammates accused him of having a negative impact on the team because he was jealous of Foles’ success.

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When Wentz was eventually sidelined for the remainder of the season with a back injury, Foles led the Eagles to a 3-0 record and a playoff victory. After the season, Foles elected to become a free agent after rejecting a $20 million option on his contract. Wentz had his job back, though he never won a playoff game in Philadelphia.

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The ongoing drama and consternation created one of the great quarterback controversies of the 21st century.

Seumalo can see some potential similarities with the Steelers after Mason Rudolph came off the bench with three games remaining to post a 3-0 record and lead them to the postseason.

The magical ride ended Monday in a 31-17 wild card defeat in Buffalo, but it might not have ended a debate over which quarterback should return as the starter in 2024 — Rudolph or Kenny Pickett, who, like Wentz, was a No. 1 pick.

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It’s among the priorities facing the Steelers as they head into an offseason that could feature some of the boldest moves since Mike Tomlin has been coach.

“The quarterback situation needs to be figured out,” Seumalo said Monday when the players and coaches convened on the South Side for the final time this season. “That’s how the NFL is. We need to have some solidarity there, one way or another, wherever it goes. You can’t win in the NFL without that.”

Seumalo, who started all 18 games in his eighth NFL season, was asked if such a situation can create factions among the players, similar to what happened in Philadelphia when Wentz was accused of being jealous of Foles’ success.

“That was a long time ago — I’m sure it can,” Seumalo said. “My thing is to focus on things you can control — my play, my effort and my attitude, doing my job to the best of my ability. Whatever else happens, happens with me doing as much as I can to make my play great.”

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches his players warm up before playing the Buffalo Bills at the Highmark Stadium on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Orchard Park.
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Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat transcript: 01.18.24

There is no evidence of jealousy within the quarterback room after the way Rudolph rejuvenated the offense. In four starts, he completed 68.1% of his passes (77 of 113) for 948 yards and five touchdowns with a passer rating of 104.89. The only interception he threw came in the second quarter against the Bills, when he tried to hit Diontae Johnson in the end zone.

If anything, teammates said the three quarterbacks — Pickett, Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky — became closer because they all shared a common trait: Each felt disrespected at one time or another by Tomlin.

This much is likely to happen: Pickett will return to training camp as the starter because the Steelers have a lot invested in him as a No. 1 pick. And he does have a 14-10 record as a starter. Rudolph will be offered a new contract as the No. 2 quarterback, though it is unclear if he wants to return because of past slights. And Trubisky will be released in a move that will save the Steelers $11.5 million in real money.

It’s kind of the way it unfolded when Seumalo was in Philadelphia.

“That’s just how it works,” he said. “That’s the business. In the offensive line room, it’s very hard to see what else is going on. We’ll see how it goes in the offseason. Improvement is always the goal.

“That’s not to say that’s the problem. I’m going to look at myself, first and foremost, and the offensive line. That’s where I have the most influence in my play and the guys I’m next to. That’s more important to me. That’s much more important to me than anything.”

Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and Twitter @gerrydulac

First Published: January 16, 2024, 8:57 p.m.
Updated: February 16, 2024, 5:42 p.m.

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