Pittsburgh Steelers still weighing options surrounding former first-round pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a big choice to make regarding former first-round draft pick Devin Bush. The starting linebacker has a fifth-year option in his contract coming up on May 2. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert shared this week that he’s not sure yet what the organization will do. The deadline to decide is May 2.

The former Michigan Wolverine tore his ACL last year and his return to the field wasn’t as triumphant as Pittsburgh hoped. However, Colbert believes that 2022 will be a different story.

“Devin Bush, I think, will be a better player in 2022,” Colbert told the media, via Jenna Harner.

After entering his first game of the season in mid-August, Bush started 14 games. He posted 70 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. His best season was in 2019 when he was fresh out of college. He had 109 total tackles with two picks and a sack.

The former No. 10-overall pick signed a four-year, $18.8 million deal after the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s due to make $3 million in 2020 but if they pick up his option for 2023, he’ll make $11 million in year five.

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert updates Pittsburgh’s plan at quarterback

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an important offseason ahead of them. Pittsburgh must replace longtime starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who retired after the end of this past season. With the Steelers in the quarterback market, two in-house options lead the way: Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins.

If the Steelers had a game right now, it would be Rudolph taking the snaps under center, according to current general manager Kevin Colbert, who will be stepping down following the 2022 NFL Draft.

“If we started a season today, Mason would be our starter,” Colbert said, via NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala.

Rudolph has started ten games over his three seasons with the Steelers, leading the team to a 5-4-1 record in those games. He has thrown for 2,366 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his NFL career. Rudolph started eight games in 2019, leading the Steelers to a 5-3 record with him at quarterback.

Even with Rudolph and Haskins likely to be back next season, the Steelers will be adding two more quarterbacks to the roster before the season starts.

“GM Kevin Colbert expects the #Steelers to have two QBs def under contract shortly, Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins, whom he expects to tender,” Kinkhabwala tweeted. “But the team will def add two more QBs before camp, he says… w/out giving us any great hints at whether that’s via draft, trade or FA.”

On3’s Jonathan Wagner contributed to this report.