3x Super Bowl champ weighs in on Daniel Jones to Steelers trade rumors: "He's never been great at that"

Daniel Jones ultimately failed as the New York Giants starting quarterback before eventually being traded to the Minnesota Vikings last year. He served as a back-up there for most of last season, but has become a potential candidate to be traded again during the 2025 NFL offseason.

One team that has been connected to several rumors involving Jones are the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are expected to be in the market for a quarterback this year and the Vikings should be willing to trade him as he's not expected to be their starter.

Former Super Bowl-winning player and current NFL analyst Mark Schlereth recently chimed in on the idea of Jones potentially going to the Steelers. He did so during an episode of "Breakfast Ball."

Schlereth said:

"Daniel Jones is not a dropback, go through progressions, and make the right throw, like that's not what he does. This year, he had a ton of success with Brian Daboll. You have to understand, the play-action game that was created off of his athleticism.

"Also, the fact that they ran him, probably eight to 10 designed run plays per game, so they really use the RPO system and all those things."

He then added:

"If you couple that with the fact that Arthur Smith is their offensive coordinator, and he did that with Ryan Tannehill, if you do that with Daniel Jones, he could be a playoff quarterback.

"If you think he's a dropback guy that's going to read the coverage and get through his progressions, he's just not that. He's never been that and he's never been great at that."

Mark Schelerth is encouraged by the idea of Jones going to Pittsburgh, specifically due to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. His offense worked for Justin Fields early in the 2024 NFL season before he was replaced by Russell Wilson, so he may be able to optimize Jones' skillset as a dual-threat.

The Steelers are also in the market for a quarterback, so the pairing makes some sense.

Is Daniel Jones a good fit for Steelers?

Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones was at his best during the 2022 NFL season with the New York Giants in his first year with Brian Daboll. He set career-highs with 3,205 passing yards, 708 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on his way to leading the team to winning a playoff game.

Regression injuries got the better of Jones from there before the Giants eventually moved on from him. He has proven to have a useful dual-threat skillset when he's been healthy, which could make him a strong fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

The Steelers are in need of a starting quarterback with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields pending free agency this year. They may choose to re-sign one or both of them, but if they are looking to make a change, Jones could be their best option.

Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has a proven history of having success with dual-threat quarterbacks, as pointed out by Mark Schlereth. His RPO-focused offensive system could potentially revive Jones' career as it plays to his overall strengths.