Mark Madden: Steelers current quarterbacks should get public support from T.J. Watt, Najee Harris

NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt spoke on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ succession plan at quarterback:

“We’ll see what happens at the quarterback position. I trust the guys upstairs to be able to bring a guy in that can win us some games, and I’m going to do everything in my power to take care of things on the defensive side of the ball.”

By “guys upstairs,” let’s hope Watt means God and whatever help He has. Because that’s what it’s going to take for the Steelers to catch up to Joe Burrow.

Whoever the quarterback is should hope that “everything in Watt’s power” will someday result in less than 40 points against in a playoff game. That’s happened three straight times.

“Bring a guy in.” The quarterbacks the Steelers already have are on Watt’s pay-no-mind list.

Rookie back Najee Harris chimed in last month about the situation at quarterback, ruminating on the possibility of acquiring Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers or Jimmy Garoppolo.

Whoever the quarterback is should hope the Steelers’ top running back averages more than 3.9 yards per carry. Harris did. That ranked 37th in the NFL.

Somebody tell these two would-be GMs that the Steelers already have Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins on their roster. Each would like to start and would like their support.

You don’t have to have an opinion on everything. You don’t always have to say what you think. You aren’t required to tell your truth. Watt and Harris weren’t hooked up to a polygraph.

The right thing to say is, “We have two great quarterbacks on our roster. If someone comes in to compete with them, that’s a healthy situation and good for the team.”

Instead, Watt and Harris gave Rudolph and Haskins a public vote of no confidence. Didn’t even mention either. Even if it’s how they feel, it’s 100% the wrong thing to say.

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Rudolph is very likely to be the starting quarterback come Week 1.

Rudolph has been in the NFL for three years. He has started 10 games and has a record of 5-4-1. He has had good and bad moments. He looked weak and afraid when Cleveland’s Myles Garrett assaulted him in 2019. It was a bad visual when Rudolph had his face mask removed from his helmet after absorbing a head shot against Baltimore that same year.

Rudolph likely could use some confidence. Watt and Harris went in another direction. (So will the fans.)

Goalie Tristan Jarry single-handedly blew the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders last year. But publicly, the franchise and players supported him, perhaps because no other choices were readily available. Look at Jarry now. He’s sparkling.

Rudolph might be OK after a full training camp of first-team reps. Or maybe he won’t be. It was 21 years between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger. Anybody who thought the transition after Roethlisberger would be seamless is naïve beyond words.

You’ve got to prop Rudolph (and Haskins) up as much as possible. Watt and Harris declined that option. Instead, they turned into talk-show callers.

Watt and Harris are either narcissistic, not that bright, just don’t get it, or some combination thereof.

But it’s no big deal. Everything any Steeler says or does is OK. That’s the local approach. That doesn’t stop stupidity from adding up.