Mike Tomlin, top Steelers brass eye quarterbacks, meet with one at Senior Bowl

Mike Tomlin and the decision-makers of the Steelers recognize quarterback is their biggest need this off-season. Following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh isn’t hiding the fact that they have a hole at the position.

At the Senior Bowl, the Steelers may have tipped their hand. To illustrate, ESPN’s Todd McShay explained how Pittsburgh has been behaving throughout the week.

“It’s no big secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback,” stated McShay. “I noticed that GM Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin were on the field a lot more than most GM/coach pairings.

“They watched some of the defensive groups, but the moment the practice sessions turned to 7-on-7 drills or anything team-related involving the QBs, the duo beelined to study the signal-callers for the rest of practice.”

Evidently, the Steelers are focusing their attention on a singular signal-caller. Adding to McShay’s report, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added Pittsburgh set up a meeting with one of the young quarterbacks.

“As Todd pointed out, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert were on the field and glued to the practice action,” added Fowler. “They chatted up Malik Willis after the Tuesday session, though that doesn’t mean much this early in the process.

“In other quarterback market news, the Carolina Panthers sent a large contingent to the practices.”

Malik Willis has been lauded for his abilities, but many evaluators believe he’ll need to be developed. Still, the Liberty quarterback has drawn comparisons to Josh Allen — that’s bound to peak anyone’s interest.

At the moment, Pittsburgh has the No. 20 overall selection in the NFL Draft. If Mike Tomlin and company have their heart set on one quarterback, the team will have to make a trade come April for their guy.

More on Malik Willis, Pittsburgh Steelers

If Malik Willis becomes the athlete the Steelers zero in on, the team would be getting a young quarterback brimming with potential. His raw talent has always been there, but Willis began to hone his skills throughout his time at Liberty.

In two seasons with the Flames, Willis passed for 5,107 yards and 47 touchdowns. Additionally, he can use his legs to keep defenses honest, as he ran for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns, as well.

The Steelers didn’t have that rushing dynamic with Ben Roethlisberger. While he was one of the toughest quarterbacks in the league, he wasn’t one that you would see take off for huge chunks with his legs. With Willis, the Steelers offense would be more dynamic.

Time will tell what direction the Steelers go in. However, it’s evident Pittsburgh is intrigued by the potential of Malik Willis.