Jameis Winston is running out of teams with which he can sign in NFL free agency. The Patriots, with Tom Brady going to the Buccaneers, and Chargers, with Philip Rivers going to the Colts, look like they're content going in other directions at quarterback.
The Redskins might be in the market for a QB as a competitive contingency for Dwayne Haskins, but everything points to Ron Rivera's team waiting for Cam Newton to be released by the Panthers. The Bears already decided to trade for Nick Foles as their alternative to Mitchell Trubisky.
That leaves Winston needing to settle for a backup role somewhere, despite that he threw for a league-leading 5,109 yards with 33 TDs last season. There's no doubt his league-leading 30 interceptions have given teams pause in signing him. But at only 26, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft also carries a high ceiling into his future.
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That's where the Steelers come in as Winston's best hope to see the field as a starter at some point in that future. At this point, Pittsburgh doesn't have much salary cap space left in 2020, with around $10 million, but that's enough to bring him in on a cheap prove-it one-year deal as the No. 2.
Ben Roethlisberger is fully healthy and committed to a big rebound season at age 38, coming off a season-ending elbow surgery. But the Steelers had a good indication that neither Mason Rudolph nor Duck Hodges is a long-term successor after both showed major limitations filling in for Roethlisberger.
The Steelers need a big upgrade behind Big Ben, given his age and continued wear and tear. Roethlisberger is signed through the 2021 season and scheduled to become a free agent when he's 40 in 2022, so lining up a more intriguing replacement doesn't hurt, either.
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When we last saw Roethlisberger in full-game action in 2018, he led the league in two categories — passing yards (5,129) and interceptions (16). He still managed to rate a strong 96.5 in efficiency while throwing at 7.6 yards per attempt. Winston "succeeded" Roethlisberger as the best (yards) the worst (INTs) in those two volume-based QB stats. He also did it while averaging 8.2 yards per attempt.
Ever since Winston emerged as a top NFL prospect early when winning the Heisman and leading Florida State to the national championship as a redshirt freshman in 2013, he drew physical and skill-set comparisons to Roethlisberger. Part of it was the simliar size and stature, with Winston standing 6-4, 231 pounds and Roethlisberger at 6-5, 240 pounds.
But the bigger parts were the toughness to hang in the pocket and extend plays when necessary with underrated athleticism, plus the willingness to fight and look for the big pass play downfield. Roethlisberger also led the league in interceptions in his age 24 season. When both were 25, Roethlisberger and Winston got offensive tutelage from Bruce Arians.
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Roethlisberger was able to iron out some early bumps in Pittsburgh to maintain efficiency with his big arm. That's what has him on track to get to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, on top of winning two Super Bowls. Along the way, he's gotten help from his team's consistent dedication to defense and the running game. That's taken plenty of pressure off Big Ben and therefore given him fewer reasons to be risky with the ball in his hands.
Winston, working with Roethlisberger's long-time offensive guru Randy Fichtner, can get back to meshing physical and mental aspects of his game well as the ideal backup for a good team, without the pressure of starting for a bad team. Should something else happen to Roethlisbeger and he needs to miss more time, Winston would give them a much better chance to be a playoff team and not waste that defense like Rudolpn and Hodges did in the 8-8 frustration of 2019.
With Winston lasting deep into free agency, his reward is starting to outweigh his risk. Those Steelers fans who think Winston can be a mess need to remember that a younger Roethlisberger had some of the same issues around the same age. Once Fichtner arrived with Arians in '07, Roethlisberger found his way for good as a more careful playmaker.
Winston is a better option than a rookie drafted on the second night of the draft to replace Rudolph and Hodges, both for the help he can provide now and the potential of a much bigger role not too much later. Given his limited options, Winston should jump at the chance to land in the Steelers organization. Now, the Steelers need to see that he's a bargain no-brainer for them, too.
