The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market for a new quarterback this offseason. Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger decided to call it a career, retiring a little while after the Steelers were eliminated from the postseason by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Currently, the only quarterback on the roster is Mason Rudolph, but the team likely wants to bring in at least one or two players to compete for the job. They are also planning to bring back Dwayne Haskins as well.

The Steelers have been connected to a few of the prospects in this year’s draft class. Malik Willis out of Liberty is someone that has a lot of fans within the organization. Kenny Pickett, who played locally for the Pittsburgh Panthers, has also been mocked to the Steelers this offseason.

Both would be great long-term investments for Pittsburgh with Willis having more upside but Pickett being the more NFL-ready prospect. Given the current makeup of the roster, the Steelers will likely be looking for more of an immediate upgrade.

With a vaunted pass rush defensively, Pittsburgh has the makings of a defense that is ready to compete for a championship right now. Their defense is what got them into the playoffs last season and if they can shore up the run defense, they will be a truly dominant unit.

With that in mind, even if the Steelers use their first-round pick on a quarterback, they will likely bring in a veteran with some experience. There has been a lot of speculation about them trading for a star quarterback to elevate the team. However, one scout believes they will go in a different direction at quarterback this offseason.

“I don’t think a Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers trade is coming for Pittsburgh. But, there is one move that the Steelers should make. Bring Jameis Winston in and unleash him under Mike Tomlin’s leadership. That is a recipe for success.”

Jameis Winston has spent the last two seasons with the New Orleans Saints after playing the first five seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him No. 1 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. He struggled with turnovers during his tenure with the Buccaneers, but his time in New Orleans seemed to help him develop his overall game.

He spent the 2020 season sitting behind Drew Brees before taking over the starting job in 2021. Winston was putting together a strong season before he got hurt in a Week 8 matchup against the Buccaneers.

Winston had thrown for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions thus far in the season, completing 59 percent of his passes. He was also scrambling more, rushing for 66 yards on 32 carries, adding another score.

The Florida State product would fit well in the Steelers offense under Mike Tomlin. They have a budding star at running back in Najee Harris and a deep collection of pass-catchers in Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Pat Freiermuth. There is also a chance that JuJu Smith-Schuster is re-signed as well.

Only 28-years old, Winston could be a long-term option for the Steelers at the quarterback position that already has 77 games of starting experience under his belt.