"He has the upside to win a Super Bowl" - Former Steelers player has high praise for QB linked to franchise

The Pittsburgh Steelers are without a starting quarterback for the first time in 18 NFL seasons. There have been quite a few names that have floated around as possible replacements for the recently retired Ben Roethlisberger, and a former Pittsburgh quarterback has his own thoughts on whom the team should pursue.

Former NFL quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who played with the team from 2013-2016, believes that Jameis Winston is the answer. Gradkowski was recently a guest on 93.7 The Fan and here's what he had to say:

"He [Jameis Winston] has the upside to win you a Super Bowl," Gardkowski declared.

PFF Bet currently ranks the odds of Winston, who is currently a free agent, signing with Pittsburgh at (+700). Winston was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the first overall draft pick in 2015 and remained the starter throughout the 2019 NFL season. When he was no longer under contract, the Buccaneers signed Tom Brady, leaving Winston to sign with the New Orleans Saints.

Winston was named the starting quarterback at the beginning of the 2021 NFL season after Drew Brees retired. His season was cut short when he tore his ACL on Halloween against his former team, the Buccaneers.

What are the Pittsburgh Steelers' options at QB?

Although early in the offseason, it seems unlikely that Pittsburgh will go with one of their backup quarterbacks, Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins. While the team was heavily scouting at the Senior Bowl last month, looking at Sam Howell, Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis, that may not be the direction they take the offense to.

The San Francisco 49ers are looking to move on from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and he was said to be high on the list for the Steelers, as is Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz. But the organization's past of not trading for a quarterback may prevent either of those moves from happening.

The Steelers offense needs a quarterback that can get the ball downfield, considering the receiving core they have built the last few seasons. Running back Najee Harris had an impressive rookie season and has seemed to reconstruct the team's running game that was nearly non-existent in 2020. But with the offensive line struggling last season, unless some big move is made this offseason, that will still happen.

So, while Jameis Winston has an arm, his interception issues, inability to make plays happen with his legs, and a weak Steelers offensive line could be the downfall in a future plan for Winston and the Steelers.