It’s a bad time to need a quarterback if you’re an NFL team. That explains why Malik Willis, despite having just six career starts and three over the last two years, has dominated narratives about this year’s quarterback market.
Aside from Fernando Mendoza, there doesn’t appear to be a potential franchise quarterback in the draft. After Willis, there’s no tantalizing free agent option. And the trade market consists of names like Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, not exactly franchise-altering quarterbacks.
Thus, if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return, Willis may be the Steelers’ best bet. But even if they sign the pending free agent, ESPN’s Field Yates doesn’t feel that confident in the Steelers’ chances next year.
“I think that the Steelers, with Malik Willis, are still maybe the second- or third-best team in their own division; we’ll see how things shake out with Cincinnati this offseason. I do think Baltimore will be back on track next year,” Yates said Wednesday on The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny.
It’s not that much of a hot take to like Baltimore’s chances over Pittsburgh in 2026. The Steelers did sweep the Ravens last year, but each game was extremely close. And the Steelers only won the division due to a missed 44-yard field goal attempt from Tyler Loop. With a healthy Lamar Jackson and a new coaching staff, there is a lot of optimism around Baltimore.
However, Cincinnati may be more of a toss-up. And to be clear, Yates isn’t explicitly saying the Bengals are better than the Steelers just yet, but he thinks it’s possible. With Joe Burrow and the skill players around him, the Bengals are always an attractive team.
But people thought Cincinnati would finish higher than Pittsburgh in 2025, too, which clearly didn’t happen. Burrow was injured for much of the year, but that defense was historically bad, and it’s not going to get much better if the Bengals lose Trey Hendrickson. Even with all the holes on the Steelers’ roster, they still feel a bit more complete — outside of the quarterback position, of course.
Yates does think the Steelers should pursue Willis despite his limited NFL starting experience.
“They’ve been stuck with quarterbacks that have not been difference makers,” Yates said. “His tape over the past couple of years is probably as good as anybody, right?”
It’s a small sample size, but the difference in Willis after he landed in Green Bay is evident. His legs were always a weapon, but his arm developed a ton, too. He threw receivers open, threw with anticipation, consistently completed passes, and kept the ball away from danger. Again, three starts in two years are hard to judge. But it’s also impressive that he was able to put those things on tape with such little experience.
Ultimately, the Steelers’ first choice still seems to be Aaron Rodgers. And Will Howard does represent one young option already in the building. While Malik Willis does make some sense, he’s far from the only piece of the puzzle.
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