The Pittsburgh Steelers face a gruelling off-season after last week’s brutal 28-14 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round, and it appears the team has issues behind-the-scenes as well.
During the defeat against the Ravens, rookie guard Mason McCormick allegedly sat out after refusing to wear a cast on his arm. The 24-year-old apparently went against team orders in the latest show of dissent in Pittsburgh.
According to the Pat McAfee Show’s Mark Kaboly, McCormick quit on the team after being asked to wear a cast on his broken hand. Kaboly said: “I think Mason McCormick hit a block, he broke his hand and they wanted him to wear a cast. He wasn’t willing to do that so they said take a seat.”
Along with McCormick allegedly sitting, reports have emerged since the team’s season ended suggesting further locker room unrest. Defensive linebacker Patrick Queen, who is set to become a free agent this summer, was called out for his performance against the Ravens before it was allegedly leaked by his camp that he had the flu during the game.
The Steelers now face a massive rebuild over the offseason, and head coach Mike Tomlin has a big decision on his hands over who he names as starting quarterback next year. Veteran quarterback Skylar Thompson has been signed, while Tomlin will have to decide who to bring back from the out-of-contract duo of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Mike Tomlin has a big decision to make over his quarterback for next season ( Image: Getty)
“We don’t have a quarterback under contract and so we’ve got some major discussions there,” he said. “It was a really good experience with the three quarterbacks that were on our roster this year, individually and collectively.
“We are certainly open to considering those guys, but there’s a lot of work ahead of us. The major work starts first and foremost just understanding what our options are … what the field looks like in terms of free agency, what the draft pool looks like, and then beginning the process in terms of decision-making based on known variables.”
Tomlin was met with a quarterback dilemma early in the season when, having had both Fields and Wilson on the roster, he opted to start with the younger Fields to open up the season due to Wilson suffering a calf injury.
The former San Francisco 49er put in some strong performances through the opening six weeks of the season, leading the team to a respectable 4-2. But after Wilson returned from injury, he assumed the starting role again – much to the upset of Terry Bradshaw.
Now, armed with a low pick in this year’s Draft – they’ll select 21st overall – it remains to be seen what the organization will do to solve its quarterback crisis.
