Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert did little to suggest that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s return to the team is a sure thing when he spoke to reporters earlier this week.
If the Steelers do part ways with Roethlisberger, attention will shift to what they do to replace him as their starter. Two options are already on the roster.
Mason Rudolph started once in 2020 and eight times in 2019, so the Steelers have a pretty good handle on how he fits with the team. There’s not the same familiarity with Dwayne Haskins, who signed with the team after being released by Washington before the end of the season.
Colbert said this week that he thought highly of Haskins coming out of college and is looking forward to seeing where he is after things fizzled for him in Washington.
“We’re excited to see what Dwayne can do with us,” Colbert said, via the team’s website. “It didn’t work out for him in Washington. We had high grades on Dwayne coming out of Ohio State. He got picked a lot higher than we were able to make that decision and it didn’t work. He’s a young, talented quarterback that we’re anxious to see what he can do once he gets here and gets working with us.”
Colbert’s take on the 2019 draft isn’t quite right. Haskins went 15th overall, which was higher than the Steelers’ initial draft position. They traded up to take linebacker Devin Bush at No. 10, however, and that suggests the team’s grade on Haskins wasn’t overwhelmingly high. That won’t matter much when it comes to evaluating him now, assuming, of course, that the Steelers have a position to fill.