Tanner Morgan Believes He's Got a Shot at Steelers Final QB Spot
PITTSBURGH -- Kenny Pickett will start and Mitch Trubisky will be his backup, that much the Pittsburgh Steelers are sure of. The line of succession after that is much more foggy.
The Steelers' third quarterback job is currently vacant and the team is actively exploring their options. They invited three signal-callers to rookie minicamp this weekend but just one has been signed to a contract - former Minnesota Golden Gopher Tanner Morgan. He arrives in Pittsburgh with six years and 47 starts under his belt, which Morgan believes will help give him a leg up on the competition.
“I think when you have experiences, you have to learn from them, good and bad and take them into whatever the next opportunity may be," Morgan said. "It definitely is [an advantage] but it’s an entirely different league, entirely different system. You have to be able to learn and adapt.”
His resume, littered with school records amassed over a long college career, is part of what drew the Steelers to him, head coach Mike Tomlin said. But he is now the new guy again and has moved up to a faster, more physical and more detailed level of football.
His final two years in college were less cluttered with classes so Morgan got a taste of what being a professional is like, but the leap from amateur to professional is intense, so he's tried to stay level and focus on the tasks at hand.
At minicamp, that means keeping the playbook straight and soaking in everything in his new environment, from coaches' feedback to how his potential teammates operate and more. He's well aware of success stories like Brock Purdy's, the 49ers quarterback who went from Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft to a playoff starter and a good one at that. Morgan appreciates what Purdy's accomplished but he has to run his own race.
"I’m in an entirely different atmosphere so it’s about getting better," Morgan said. "It’s awesome what he did but I got to make sure I know what to do on play X, Y and Z.”
Morgan hopes the intelligence and leadership qualities that Tomlin thinks so highly of shine through during minicamp. He fancies himself the football version of a point guard - smart, protective of the ball and efficient in getting his playmakers in position to do what they do best.
He was a candidate to get drafted but as the rounds progressed and Morgan remained unselected, he remained undeterred. Sure, it would have been nice to get drafted but Morgan is grateful for the opportunity in front of him. He knew there was an open job in Pittsburgh up for grabs and he won't take for granted the chance to compete for it.
“I didn’t really know exactly how it was going to play out but I knew [Pittsburgh] was a place I wanted to be for sure," Morgan said. "As the draft went on, I think the chips fell where they did. It’s a great opportunity and I’m really blessed to be here.”
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