The Pittsburgh Steelers endured one of the strangest seasons in recent memory in 2023. Head coach Mike Tomlin saw his team earn a spot in the playoffs with a 10-7 record, but the Steelers suffered badly with an offense that was unproductive throughout the majority of the season.

Through the first 12 weeks of the season, their offense regularly underachieved for three quarters before doing enough in the fourth quarter to win a majority of their games under starting quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Quarterback play suffered in 2023 season

The Steelers had a 7-4 record after beating the Bengals 16-10 in Week 12. That game saw the Steelers with one of their few consistent performance on offense, as Pickett completed 24 of 33 passes for 278 yards and the victors controlled the clock for 37:17 compared to 22:43 for the Bengals.

However, just when it looked like the Steelers might be turning the corner, Pickett suffered an injury and quarterback Mitch Trubisky was forced to take over.

Since the Steelers were facing a pair of home games with the lowly Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, it seemed like Pittsburgh would continue its winning ways. However, the Steelers stumbled badly, losing both games to those last-place teams.

It seemed certain that the season would end in disappointment, but after a third straight loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Steelers closed the season by winning their final three games of the season against the Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens.

Mason Rudolph had been installed as the starting quarterback in place of the ineffective Trubisky, and the team responded quite well to his leadership.

When the 2025 season gets underway, it seems likely that Pickett will have the inside track on the starting job, but Rudolph will have a chance to show what he can do and potentially become the starter if he outperforms Pickett.

Additionally, the Steelers could use free agency or the NFL Draft to find their next starting quarterback. The Steelers are said to be interested in signing Kirk Cousins if the injured quarterback does not resign with the Vikings.

Trubisky almost certainly will depart

The Steelers and Tomlin thought that having a veteran quarterback who had started in the NFL and seen some very challenging circumstances would be a solid backup for Pickett.

However, Trubisky was simply not the answer for the Steelers — and he may not be able to gain another NFL backup quarterback position at this point in his career. He is simply not an effective passer or leader.

Trubisky completed 67 of 107 passes for for 632 yard with 4 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions last season. He had a passer rating of 71.9.

The 29-year-old Trubisky has excellent athletic ability, but he has never demonstrated the kind of consistency needed to win in the NFL. Surely, Tomlin has seen enough to understand that keeping Trubisky on the roster is not a good idea and that he is not worth the $8 million he received last season.

Trubisky has two more years remaining on his contract, and the Steelers will have to take a dead cap hit of $4.6 million to get rid of him.

Wideout Allen Robinson brings little value

At one point in his career, Allen Robinson was a dependable receiver who could changed the tone of any game with his ability to get open and make the catch with his dependable hands.

Robinson turned out to be a small part of the Pittsburgh offense this season, as he caught 34 passes for 280 yards and he did not have a TD reception.

Robinson earned $5 million last season and the team took a cap hit of more than $3 million. He is under contract to earn $10 million in 2024 but it will cost just $1.9 million to part company with him prior to the start of the season.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson may not be the best fit at this point in his career

Peterson was a solid performer for the Steelers last season as he had 42 tackles, 11 passes defensed and 2 interceptions.

The Steelers will have a cap hit of $9.775 million if they keep Peterson on the roster, but if they part company with him, the dead cap hit will be $2.925 million.

Peterson has played 13 years in the NFL, including 10 with the Arizona Cardinals, 2 with the Vikings and 1 with the Steelers. Peterson will be 34 years old at the start of the 2024 season, and he does not have the kind of speed or quickness to cover top receivers in man-to-man situations.

While he has plenty of know-how and is a solid presence in the locker room, he does not seem to be the kind of player who can help the team going forward.