Damien Woody paints ‘grim’ picture for Pittsburgh Steelers entering NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ chances of landing a new quarterback this offseason look worse every day. Earlier this offseason, the Steelers were in talks with free agent Aaron Rodgers, but the legendary QB has refused to sign a deal with the Steelers and appears less likely to do so with every passing moment.

Some fans hoped the Steelers would instead draft a QB in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, with the No. 21 overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Steelers might not have any interest in the QBs left on the board when it’s their turn to draft.

Simply put, the Steelers’ future at the quarterback position is murky at best. Of course, others aren’t even that optimistic. During an appearance on Get Up on Monday, two-time Super Bowl champion Damien Woody revealed how he’d be feeling if he were on the Steelers.

“Grim,” Woody said. “The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since, what, 2016? I mean, think about it. One of the reasons why that defense wore down last year was because of quarterback play. We saw what happened the last five games. That defense got more and more exposed because they were on the field more.

“If you’re one of those veterans, particularly on the defensive side of the football, and you’re looking at the prospect of Mason Rudolph or another rookie quarterback, you’re not feeling great… It could be another uphill battle of trying to get through Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and all the other quarterbacks that are in the AFC right now. So if I’m one of those veterans in Pittsburgh, man, it’s mental. It’s got to be tough right now.”

As of this report, Mason Rudolph is expected to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback next season. Rudolph began his career with the Steelers and was their starter for most of the 2019 season.

In 10 appearances and eight starts that season, Rudolph completed 62.2% of his pass attempts for 1,765 yards and 13 touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. Rudolph served as a backup on the team for the next four seasons before signing with the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Rudolph made eight appearances and five starts for the Titans last season. He finished the year with 1,530 passing yards and nine TDs while throwing nine interceptions. He completed 64.0% of his pass attempts.

The Steelers won’t have long to decide if they want to risk drafting a quarterback. The NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.