Pittsburgh finished the regular season with a .500 record or better for the 17th consecutive season under head coach Mike Tomlin. The past few seasons have been an adventure, though, as the franchise has leaned on a strong defense to overcome offensive struggles Matt Wieters Jersey led by the quarterback.After a 31-17 lo s to the on Super Wild Card Weekend, the franchise faces a pivotal decision this offseason as it relates to the position.The selected with the No. 20 overall selection in the 2022 , which means he has two years, plus a potential fifth-year option, remaining on his rookie deal. Despite the investment, the franchise opted to start, whom the team could have named the long-term starter after retired, over a healthy Pickett down the stretch and in the team's playoff game.At one point or another, Pittsburgh has now said that neither Rudolph nor Pickett has played well enough to curry favor within the organization. It could opt to give Pickett another year to prove himself after firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada midseason, but it is more likely the team explores all avenues in the offseason. PIT QB #8 CMP%62.0YDs2070TD6INT4YD/Att6.39 As a result of advancing to the , Pittsburgh will finish with no better than the No. 19 overall selection in the 2024 . They would be in range to trade up for one of the perceived top quarterback targets -- like LSU's Jayden Daniels, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. or Chris Beck Jersey North Carolina's Drake Maye -- but would they want to go down the rookie path again knowing the roster is playoff-worthy now?The most likely scenario is that general manager Omar Khan and Tomlin sit down this offseason and, in a moment of transparency, come to the conclusion that acquiring a veteran -- who has some level of succe s in the , understands the responsibilities of the position, and has illustrated profe sional behavior -- is the best course of action.Who may be some of the players who check those boxes?If Chicago takes a quarterback at No. 1 overall, then it opens the door for the to trade quarterback , who has one year, po sibly two with a fifth-year option, remaining on his rookie contract. The former No. 11 overall selection has completed 61.4% of his pa ses for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and Lou Brock Jersey nine interceptions, in addition to rushing for 5.3 yards per carry and four touchdowns this season. The jury is still out on Fields, but his athleticism would provide Pittsburgh's offense with an element it has been lacking: explosivene s. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. If the or were to take a quarterback in the draft, would that open the door for or to play elsewhere? Neither serves as a ma sive step up, but they do have ample playing experience.As far as potential free agents are concerned, quarterback is in a tier of his own. Michael Wacha Jersey The 35-year-old has played for 12 seasons but never advanced to the conference championship. Pittsburgh needs consistency and Cousins has been the epitome. The Illinois native will eclipse 40,000 pa sing yards next season. In 2023, he was limited to 2,331 pa sing yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions due to mi sing half of the season with a torn Achilles. In the eight seasons prior, he had mi sed just one game., and are likely atop tier two of potential free agents, but Mayfield is expected to return Yadier Molina Jersey to Tampa Bay. From there, the team may have to dive into a pool of traveled veterans, such as , , and .The and have made it clear that neither Wilson nor Tannehill is expected to return next season. The latter was replaced midseason with rookie second-round choice . However, there is a stabilization that happens within a locker room when a succe sful veteran enters. The Steelers' season came to a screeching halt with a blowout lo s to the Bills. Now looms a big decision on what to do at the sport's most important position.