The Pittsburgh Steelers need to have a succession plan in place for the day when Ben Roethlisberger announces his retirement.
That would appear to be following the 2021 season.
As it stands now it would be a competition between Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph.
Fans got to see both in action Thursday night in a preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles, with Haskins getting more time on the field.
That proved to be great for him as he finished 16/22 with 161 yards and a touchdown.
Thus, let the Haskins hype train begin.
.@dh_simba7’s night:
🎯 16/22
🎯 161 yards
🎯 1 touchdown pic.twitter.com/MGFSu5NcGB— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 13, 2021
His stock will only continue to rise as the preseason continues and he shows off the talent that made him a first-round pick in 2019.
Starting The Hype
Steelers fans know the team desperately needs to figure out what to do after Roethlisberger.
That was made abundantly clear in 2019 when he was out most of the year with an injury and the duo of Rudolph and Devlin Hodges sputtered to an 8-8 record.
It was not terrible, but certainly not up to par for the expectations in Pittsburgh.
Haskins is someone who shows up with a first-round tag on his name after Washington took him with the No. 15 overall pick in 2019.
Rudolph has already had a few years to show what he can do, and while some signs were good, he has not blown anyone away.
That explains why Haskins was given a shot in the first place.
A Fair Fresh Start
FREE PLAY and @dh_simba7 makes the most of it. Six!@steelers | #PITvsPHI pic.twitter.com/bNqP1Jzr5g
— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2021
Haskins got a bit of a raw deal in Washington.
He was released by the team before completing two seasons and head coach Ron Rivera clearly saw no future for the quarterback in town.
That is just as much on the organization as it is on Haskins.
He did not ask them to draft him.
Going to Pittsburgh provides some stability and no pressure to be the starter in 2021.
He is now trying to prove he can take over the job in 2022, or perhaps even boost his own trade value for a team to come after him before this year’s trade deadline.
The pressures of being a first-round pick are gone, and he is already receiving a lot more support in Pittsburgh than he got near the end of his short tenure in Washington.
Haskins is only 24 years old and has a full career ahead of him.
Getting the backup job with Pittsburgh this year would firmly place him in the role of successor to Roethlisberger.
The team could always draft someone in 2022, but not doing so to this point lends itself to the belief the team will promote from within.
Otherwise, it would be pointless to focus so much on Haskins and Rudolph.
NEXT: Steelers Could Be Poised For Losing Season In 2021