The Detroit Lions have the utmost confidence in Jared Goff's ability to lead the team to the mountaintop. The former No. 1 pick has had some miscues, but the overall balance has been extremely positive since he arrived at Ford Field.
However, a Super Bowl contender is only as good as its weakest link. Goff is a durable guy with no history of injuries, but this is a contact sport, and all teams are always one snap away from losing their top guy and, potentially, their season.
That's why, with Teddy Bridgewater's retirement and the uncertainty at QB2, the Lions might want to set their sights on the AFC North. According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, the Pittsburgh Steelers may carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, making them a potential trade partner.
The Lions should get the Steelers on the phone
"I feel good about the quarterback room," Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said. "I've been saying it for quite some time, and they've shown it on the field. We got two veterans that we can win with, and we got two young guys that we're excited about the future."
Bridgewater's sudden retirement forced the Lions' hand and led them to reach out to Josh Dobbs. As a bona fide journeyman and a veteran backup, he was supposed to be a plug-and-play stopgap at the position, right? Wrong.
Dobbs hasn't looked the part in the preseason, with undrafted free agent Luke Altmyer outplaying him thus far. He should be the leading candidate to be Goff's backup, with Dobbs potentially not even making the roster.
That said, he's an unproven rookie, and the Lions might not feel confident putting that much weight on his shoulders if Goff has to miss time. The Steelers have Mason Rudolph, and he might be the odd man out in Pittsburgh if the price is right.
The Steelers are high on Will Howard and Drew Allar. The latter is exciting but extremely raw, while the former might be ahead of schedule, and the Steelers could feel confident with him as Aaron Rodgers' backup at some point.
So, even if the Lions can't get one of the Steelers' signal-callers now, as Mike McCarthy tries to figure out a plan, they might still be a logical trade partner before the deadline. Once they realize they have a surplus at the position, they might be more inclined to talk shop.
The Lions may have already solved their QB2 problems by then, but if not, the Steelers should be the first to call. Keeping four quarterbacks on a 53-man roster is almost unheard of in today's NFL, and as much as the Steelers don't want to part ways with any of their guys, they'll have to make a decision eventually.
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