And now they know.
Internally, the Steelers were pretty sure Ben Roethlisberger was going to retire after this season. But there's always a level of doubt until it actually happens.
A deep playoff run or excellent individual season could have convinced the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback to come back for another shot at a Super Bowl.
But with Roethlisberger's official announcement of his retirement Thursday, the only thing next for him is a trip to Canton for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Steelers? They'll move on. But the question now is just how they will do so.
Mike Tomlin said at his season-ending press conference that the team would keep all options open for finding a replacement for Roethlisberger.
"Right now all options (are) on the table," Tomlin said. "But those decisions are interrelated based on our global needs, and the totality of those global needs."
That means the Steelers will explore outside options beyond Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins being the main competitors for their starting quarterback job in 2022, but they'll also have to weigh the cost involved in those options, as well.
In terms of straight-up cost, Tomlin is not necessarily referring to money. Even with Roethlisberger now retired, he'll count $10.3 million against the team's salary cap in 2022 thanks to his reworked deal from a year ago that not only reduced his salary but added voidable years through 2025 to his deal.
With Roethlisberger now retired, the money that would have been spread over several future seasons, now all counts in 2022. But the Steelers knew that was a distinct possibility when they agreed to the deal.
They also have $5.6 million in dead cap space for JuJu Smith-Schuster, $3.9 million for Eric Ebron and $2.3 million for Melvin Ingram because of voidable years on their contracts, as well. But that could be adjusted if any of those players were to be re-signed, an unlikelihood for Ebron and Ingram. Ingram was traded to the Chiefs during the season for a sixth-round draft pick.
Even with that dead money, the Steelers still have an estimated $34 million in available salary cap space for 2022, a bonanza for a team that typically needs to release players or adjust contracts to get into cap compliance each season.
That won't be necessary this year and it means the Steelers do, in fact, have all options on the table to acquire their next quarterback.
They can easily trade for or sign a veteran quarterback if they choose to go in that direction. Or, they could simply draft one and allow that quarterback to compete with Rudolph and Haskins for the starting job.
Haskins will be a restricted free agent, but can easily be retained on a minimal restricted deal, while Rudolph is under contract at a cost of $4 million against the salary cap.
Let's take a look at the options:
TRADE FOR AN ESTABLISHED STARTER
This one is popular among Steelers fans, who picture Aaron Rodgers of the Packers, Russell Wilson of the Seahawks or even the Texans' Deshaun Watson being the team's quarterback in 2022.
But is it likely?
In a word, no.
The Rams traded their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, along with a third-round pick in 2021 and quarterback Jared Goff, to the Lions last offseason for Matthew Stafford.
The asking prices for Rodgers, Wilson or Watson are going to be at least two first-round draft picks and additional picks -- and more.
That is what Tomlin is referring to when he talks about the cost of acquiring a quarterback. The Steelers can afford monetarily to add a veteran quarterback to their roster. But can they afford to do so in terms of draft capital?
Could there be another veteran who becomes available for a less cost? Sure. The Raiders' Derek Carr or 49ers Jimmy Garoppolo, for example, might be two who become available.
But while the price in draft capital might not be as much, you're also getting a lesser quarterback.
The Steelers have to weigh the cost versus the potential outcome of a move like that.
SIGN A VETERAN
The veteran free agent market is probably a more likely pool in which the Steelers could be fishing. But are they going to be satisfied with the catch?
There are a number of mid-level starters or former starters currently slated to become unrestricted free agents when the signing period begins March 16.
The best of that group is former 2015 No. 1-overall draft pick Jameis Winston.
But he also has some issues. Winston, who signed with the Saints after leaving Tampa Bay following the 2019 season, suffered a torn ACL midway through the 2021 season. So, a team will have to be comfortable with his recovery before signing him to any kind of deal.
But, Cincinnati's Joe Burrow suffered a torn ACL in Week 10 of last season and was ready to play by the first week of the 2021 season, so it is possible. He was not, however, changing teams or offenses.
Winston was 5-2 as a starter for the Saints in 2021, throwing 14 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He's no longer the quarterback who had 30 interceptions and 12 fumbles in his final season for the Buccaneers.
And with Sean Payton no longer the head coach in New Orleans, having stepped down earlier this week, and the Saints seriously over the 2022 salary cap, they won't be in the market to re-sign Winston.
Adding him and naming him the starter would make the most sense of the free agent quarterbacks.
Beyond Winston, the other quarterbacks who could come in and compete with Rudolph and Haskins for the starting job would include Raiders backup Marcus Mariota or Bills backup Mitchell Trubisky.
Both are former premium draft picks with starting experience. Mariota was the second pick of the 2015 draft behind Winston, while Trubisky was the third pick of the 2017 draft and was taken ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Watson.
They both have the mobility that Tomlin desires to run the Matt Canada offense and have had some success.
Mariota threw 26 touchdown passes and just nine interceptions in his second season, leading the Titans to a 9-7 record in 2016 before injuries derailed his career.
Trubisky twice led the Bears to playoff berths -- in 2018 and 2020 -- and went to the Pro Bowl after his 2018 season. But he wasn't necessarily used properly in Chicago and wasn't surrounded by great talent.
Beyond those three quarterbacks, the rest of the free agent market are backups or aging veterans such as Teddy Bridgewater or Tyrod Taylor who are little more than caretakers at the position.
DRAFT ONE
The 2022 NFL Draft isn't thought to be especially talented at the quarterback position.
Pitt's Kenny Pickett, North Carolina's Sam Howell, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder, Liberty's Malik Willis, Matt Corral of Ole Miss and Nevada's Carson Strong are considered the top available quarterbacks, but none are currently slated to be sure top-10 picks.
That could change after next week's Senior Bowl practices, where all but Corral, the only underclassman of the group, are slated to compete.
But the question that remains is will the Steelers identify a quarterback from among this group they feel can be a long-term replacement for Roethlisberger?
That could certainly happen.
Pickett is viewed as the safest of the group, but he also might have the lowest upside. Had he been available in last year's draft, even with his 2021 season as a consideration, he would have been selected after the Patriots took Mac Jones as the fifth quarterback selected.
Howell was widely considered the top prospect in the pre-season rankings, but suffered through an uneven season after losing his top receivers and both running backs to the draft last year. Willis, a transfer from Auburn, has the most athletic upside of the group, but also lacks in consistency, while Ridder, Corral and Strong all check many boxes but are lacking in some form or fashion.
The Steelers could select one of those quarterbacks and take them to camp as developmental players, allowing Rudolph and Haskins to battle for the starting job.
That was, after all, their plan with Roethlisberger in 2004. He opened training camp as third on the depth chart behind starter Tommy Maddox and backup Charlie Batch. But Batch was injured in the preseason and Maddox went down in Week 2.
Would that make fans happy? Maybe not. But it might be the most prudent of moves and allow the team to use its available cap space on upgrading the roster elsewhere.