Steelers Urged to Add Former Titans QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a logical landing spot for a quarterback with ties to Arthur Smith.

Jan 7, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) takes the field during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguarsat Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Amidst struggles both on the offensive line and at quarterback this preseason, a former NFL executive floated the idea of the Pittsburgh Steelers targeting a veteran signal caller with ties to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in an attempt to help curb their issues.

Michael Lombardi, who spent over three decades working in NFL front offices and was the Cleveland Browns' general manager in 2013, thinks Ryan Tannehill could dependably operate the Steelers' offense in its current flawed state.

"With the line being as bad as it was, is Ryan Tannehill sitting out there on the street, do you make that phone call to Ryan Tannehill? He knows Arthur's offense," Lombardi said in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. "The rookie first-round pick from last year, Broderick Jones, is getting pushed right back. Nobody can play quarterback in that situation.”

The Steelers' first-team offense has yet to score a touchdown in eight series across their first two games this preseason due to a number of extenuating circumstances.

As Lombardi mentioned, Pittsburgh's O-Line hasn't exactly impressed thus far. The group allowed four sacks in the team's 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday and three against the Houston Texans in their first game, which doesn't even take into account the constant pressure Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have been under on most drop-backs.

Jones in particular has struggled to get going, allowing four pressures and two sacks over 42 pass blocking snaps in those two games, according to Pro Football Focus. The second-year tackle made 11 starts as a rookie in 2023, allowing 29 pressures and four sacks.

Not all of the blame should be placed upon the protection, however, as neither Wilson nor Fields have put their best foot forward this preseason.

Wilson went 8-for-10 in his Steelers debut against the Bills after suffering a calf injury in the team's conditioning test at the start of training camp, and he has a lot to prove after a pair of disappointing seasons with the Denver Broncos before landing in Pittsburgh on a one-year deal.

Fields turned some heads while working with the starters as Wilson was limited in practice, though that has yet to translate into success in game action.

He fumbled twice against the Texans, and while his overall numbers improved against Buffalo, the offense mustered just three points with him at the helm despite the fact that he played the entire second half.

That's where Tannehill enters the picture. He worked in tandem with Smith as a member of the Tennessee Titans, who was the team's offensive coordinator in both 2019 and 2020.

The pairing helped lead Tennessee to consecutive postseason berths and an AFC Championship Game appearance. Tannehill threw for 55 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions over those two seasons, winning the 2019 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in the process.

Tannehill isn't quite the same quarterback as he was back then, throwing four touchdowns and seven interceptions last season while getting usurped by Will Levis for the starting job. Still, the 36-year-old has plenty of experience, and his familiarity with Smith could be of great assistance for the Steelers' offense.

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