Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley wanted the team to trade up for a quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft to replace Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger played for the Steelers from 2004 until 2021, but Haley felt like the team should have taken a quarterback in the draft to replace him years prior. Haley, who was the Steelers’ offensive coordinator from 2012 until 2017, says he tried to get the team to trade up to select Patrick Mahomes.
“We talked about it,” Haley said to GamblingIndustryNews.com about wanting to trade up for Mahomes, in a Q&A published on Oct. 2. “We’d have Mahomes and those guys in for visits. As offensive coaches, we all loved him. But you’ve got to make that decision. Are we going to have a guy for the future and waste a No. 1 pick, essentially, by not giving another part of the team a piece that is desperately needed?”
Haley believes Pittsburgh should have taken a quarterback to learn under Roethlisberger so the Steelers had someone ready to replace him. He was very impressed with Mahomes after he met with the quarterback in the draft process.
“Mahomes was one of those guys,” Haley added. “Like, wow, this guy is pretty special once you get to know him and spend time with him. But it’s a big-picture thing. It’s for the GM, ownership, and head coach to make that decision.”
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The Kansas City Chiefs, meanwhile, traded up to select Mahomes 10th overall, and he’s led the team to three Super Bowls. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, ended up drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round in 2022 to replace Roethlisberger, but that didn’t pan out.
The Steelers have now started six different quarterbacks since Roethlisberger retired. But if Haley had his way, it would have been Mahomes leading the team for several years now.
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