Aaron Rodgers didn’t have his greatest recreation in Week 17 towards the Cleveland Browns. After a pair first rate performances, the 42-year-old Rodgers regarded his age, making some poor selections and lacking some throws. The Steelers will seemingly be out there for a quarterback once more within the coming offseason. They’ve had critical points discovering Ben Roethlisberger’s successor. Nevertheless, James Harrison revealed that the Steelers had a possibility to draft a participant who become a franchise quarterback nearly a decade in the past, however they opted towards pulling the set off.
“I ain’t going to present my sources,” Harrison stated Monday on his Deebo and Joe podcast. “I’ve been across the Steelers. I’ve been via the group since 2002, so I do know some folks.
“We had an opportunity in 2016 within the fourth spherical to get a diamond within the tough, however we drafted a deal with that was with us possibly two, three years. We handed on a quarterback that was a diamond within the tough that they wished to get however didn’t do it. Guess who that quarterback was? Dak Prescott. However that didn’t occur for a wide range of causes that I gained’t get into.”
Prescott was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys within the fourth spherical of the 2016 draft. He was taken on the one hundred and thirty fifth decide. The Steelers picked at 123, and so they chosen offensive deal with Jerald Hawkins. He was solely in Pittsburgh for 3 seasons, earlier than getting traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a sixth-round decide.
It’s protected to say, with hindsight, that the Steelers ought to’ve drafted Prescott. He’s been among the many prime quarterbacks within the league for many of his profession. Along with profitable Offensive Rookie of the Yr honors, he has made 4 Professional Bowls and been named a second-team All-Professional as soon as.
Harrison gained’t disclose why the Steelers didn’t take Prescott, however it’s not shocking that he was on their radar. It was solely two years later in 2018 when the Steelers spent a third-round decide on Mason Rudolph. Clearly, they have been contemplating life after Roethlisberger.
Nevertheless, it’s onerous to completely bash the Steelers for passing on Prescott. First, it’s onerous to foretell that any Day 3 decide will prove in addition to he has. Second, they have been simply coming off a season through which they regarded like Tremendous Bowl contenders earlier than accidents decimated them. Additionally, Roethlisberger was solely 34 and regarded like he had loads of gasoline left within the tank.
Nonetheless, Harrison is pissed off, considering that the Steelers must take a protracted look within the mirror.
“It must be a change on this group from the highest down,” he stated. “And I do know with nearly 100% certainty that that change is not going to occur till after the 2026 season.”
It’s unclear why Harrison is so sure that widespread adjustments gained’t come till after subsequent yr. Maybe that’s as a result of Mike Tomlin’s contract could possibly be up then. His present deal runs via the 2027 season, however there’s a crew choice for that remaining yr. Subsequently, the Steelers and Tomlin may half methods after 2026.
We’ll see how subsequent week goes for the Steelers. That would say loads about any potential adjustments they make within the offseason. In the event that they lose to the Ravens, then possibly they’ll be extra open to shaking issues up. Harrison could possibly be proper to be pessimistic about that, although. The Steelers aren’t identified for making knee-jerk reactions.
