The Steelers and Falcons have had a mirrored offseason, but with varying results

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons have had similar stories this past offseason. When you think about it, the Falcons were always just a step behind the Steelers. Let me explain...

Both the Falcons and Steelers saw their franchise quarterbacks depart for one reason or another. The Steelers saw Ben Roethlisberger retire, while the Falcons traded Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for nothing more than a mid-round pick.

Needing a quarterback, both organizations went to both free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft to find their answer.

When the new league year began in March, the Steelers wasted no time when the legal tampering period began and they signed Mitch Trubisky as a free agent. It wasn’t the same day, but a few days later the Falcons added a free agent of their own in Marcus Mariota.

It looked like both teams got their guy, but the Steelers were ready to strike again during the NFL Draft. When no quarterbacks were taken at their 20th overall pick, the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett. The Falcons passed on Pickett, and waited until the 3rd Round until they took Desmond Ridder out of Cincinnati.

After 11 games in the 2022 regular season, both teams are in different positions with their quarterbacks. The Falcons continue to ride Mariota as far as he’ll take them, despite many of their fans wanting to see what Ridder can do. Meanwhile, the Steelers have dumped Trubisky for Pickett, and are looking to the future of the position since halftime of Week 4.

Which way is right, and which is wrong? That’s up for debate, but we won’t know for sure until years down the road. If Pickett turns out to be “the guy” for the Steelers, their decision making will be considered better with when they were able to select Pickett. However, if Ridder is able to prove he was worthy of a first round pick, the Falcons might just be pushing their future down the road one year.

It’s all up for debate, and we talk about that exclusively in the two podcasts below. Be sure to check them out!!

Steelers Preview

• News of the Week
• Riding the Wave
• Injury Report
• Over/Under
• Trivia
• Final Thoughts

Let’s Ride

• News and Notes
• Back-to-Back Quest
• A visit from Jeremy Betz in the All Betz Are Off segment
• Hart to Heart
• and MUCH MORE!

Jeff Hartman of BTSC walks you through everything you need to know regarding the black-and-gold.

Be sure to check out this and all episodes on the following platforms:

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Spotify: CLICK HERE

Google Play: CLICK HERE