Aaron Rodgers is Plan A. Mike Florio thinks Jameis Winston is Plan B. In a shrinking quarterback market that was an inch deep to begin with, if Rodgers goes to the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, or the couch, Pittsburgh should pivot to Winston, Florio said.
“I know they’re gonna end up with who you think I know,” he told co-host Chris Simms for Pro Football Talk Thursday. “I’m looking at him right now. Jameis Winston. If they don’t sign Rodgers, they’re gonna go with Jameis Winston. Because he can at least get the ball down the field to DK Metcalf.”
Winston will likely embrace the idea, making a pitch to play for Mike Tomlin earlier this offseason.
If that opportunity presents itself, I would love to team up with Coach Mike Tomlin…I admire Coach Mike Tomlin so much,” he said last month. “The first Super Bowl ring I ever held in my hand was a [2008] Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl ring from Bruce Arians. So that definitely is aligned with my vision.”
And former quarterbacks have made personal pitches to Tomlin to bring Winston into the fold.
Florio’s correct in asserting that Winston could get the ball downfield. His admitted gunslinger mentality allows him to take chances and trust his playmakers, and Pittsburgh is building a top deep-threat duo in George Pickens and Metcalf.
When it comes to Jameis Winston, there will be big plays. The problem is you’re never quite sure who is making them. He is one of the most turnover-prone quarterbacks of his era, and his volatility makes him difficult to trust over a full season. Since being drafted in 2015, he has had the sixth-highest interception rate of any quarterback, with at least 500 attempts. The names in front of him aren’t future Hall of Famers: DeShone Kizer, Josh Rosen, Nick Mullens, Mike Glennon, and Sam Howell.
Even in an effort to improve the offense and trust the passing game more than they have, Pittsburgh’s path to winning remains the same. Play great defense, win close and late games, and don’t turn the ball over. Winston doesn’t fit with that philosophy. His unpredictable outcomes and big plays versus costly turnovers make him hard to trust. And when the Steelers turn the ball over, even once, they lose. Since 2022, they’re 12-20 (.375) when they turn it over once, regardless of turnover differential. When they don’t give it away, they are 17-2 (.895).
Obviously, every team has higher odds of winning when it protects the ball compared to when it doesn’t, but Pittsburgh’s splits are likely among the league’s most exaggerated.
After Florio’s comments, Pittsburgh made a move at quarterback to bring back Mason Rudolph. He should serve as the No. 2. The team hopes to land Rodgers as their No. 1. If not, options become thin. Perhaps fences can be mended with Russell Wilson. If not, the Steelers will turn elsewhere and would probably prefer, worst-case, to start Rudolph before they consider handing Winston the keys.
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