The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2022 NFL offseason in search of a quarterback for the first time in almost 20 years. Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement last Thursday, although it was expected by just about everyone.

The Steelers had been criticized over the last year or two for not appearing to have a transition plan in place. Roethlisberger's level of play had screeched to a half in recent seasons. He appeared unable to get the ball very far downfield any longer.

Well, it sounds as though Pittsburgh has their eyes set on someone after all. According to Steelers writer Nick Farabaugh, the organization is keeping close tabs on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis.

Willis was the starting quarterback for the Liberty Flames the last two seasons. He entered the Senior Bowl with quite a bit of buzz surrounding him.

Willis is a dual threat QB. He threw for 2,857 yards and 27 touchdowns last season. But he also rushed 197 times for 878 yards and 13 more scores. Those numbers are actually down from 2020 when he rushed for 944 yards on only 141 carries. That's a crazy 6.5 yards per carry. The Steelers might be tired of watching Lamar Jackson running on them.

He spent his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Auburn Tigers. He did not get much playing time so he transferred to Liberty. That appears to have been a wise decision.

Willis is considered one of the top quarterbacks on the board. The Steelers are among a handful of teams that have expressed interest. The 2022 NFL Draft class is considered rather thin at quarterback. That leaves an opportunity for guys like Willis, Matt Corral, and Kenny Pickett.