The Steelers might search for an established veteran quarterback after this season, but it likely won't be to replace Kordell Stewart.
While no decision has been made, Stewart has virtually played himself back into the future as the team's starting quarterback. He has become the quarterback they thought they were getting when they signed him last year to a contract through 2003. Unless something unforeseen happens the final weeks of the season, the job is Stewart's, now and for the future. If they search for a quarterback, it would be for a backup.
Kevin Gilbride, the team's offensive coordinator, isn't the one making that decision but he has thrown his support behind Stewart.
"It's a week-to-week trial, and you have to go out and prove it again this week, and it'll be another challenge against a quality team in the midst of its own battle for the playoffs," Gilbride said yesterday.
"But right now, there's no question, if you judge a guy by what direction he's headed in, he's headed in the right direction."
Stewart missed the second quarter of Sunday's game with an injury to the back of his knee, just above the calf. The trainers wrapped it, and he returned to lead them from a 10-point deficit to a 21-20 victory. He is expected to play against the New York Giants Sunday at Giants Stadium.
Gilbride has been impressed with Stewart's progress this year since his first start, a victory Oct. 1 at Jacksonville, and, in particular, his play the past month.
Stewart helped put his team in position to win against Philadelphia and Jacksonville, games the Steelers ended up losing when they gave up 26 and 34 points. Stewart followed with his best play of the season in victories against Cincinnati and Oakland.
He has accounted for nine touchdowns in the past nine quarters, throwing for five and running for four. His passer rating, which does not include his 328 yards rushing, has improved to 75.7. He has nine touchdown passes and five interceptions. He had thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in each of the past two seasons.
"He's worked hard," Gilbride said. "His growth in the mental aspect of the game has been excellent. But more than anything, I really think it's a matter of him having struggled and overcome a lot of the pressure you put on yourself, the emotional challenge of your team and your organization, and your city expecting so much from you in that position. It's a difficult chore to be able to overcome previous setbacks when you haven't played well.
"He's handled that with great strength and great resolve.
"We talk about those things all the time, but the credit goes to him because a lot of guys who have physical ability can't put it all together."
There was another Steelers quarterback who followed a similar path. Terry Bradshaw played so poorly in his first four seasons that he lost his job to Joe Gilliam to open the 1974 season. Gilliam led the team in passing that season with 1,274 yards. Bradshaw had 785 yards with a 55.1 passer rating. Quarterback polls in the newspapers favored Gilliam and Terry Hanratty over Bradshaw. But Bradshaw had reclaimed the No. 1 job by the end of the season, and the Steelers went on to win their first Super Bowl with him at quarterback.
It was often said then that it took five years to make an NFL quarterback. The modern game does not normally allow for that because of the pressures of the salary cap. That is why many first-round picks at the position fail. But this is Stewart's sixth NFL season and his fourth as a starting quarterback. It might be he's finally coming into his own while working under his third offensive coordinator.
"No question, that's a realistic assessment of what has happened here," Gilbride said. "What a lot of people don't realize is that progress has been thrown off track on occasion. He's had some different coaches, and even though it's the same system, there's points of emphasis that are different. There are maybe some teaching strategies that [are] slightly different."
Jerome Bettis believes that after Chan Gailey, Stewart's first offensive coordinator, left to become the Dallas Cowboys' coach, Stewart's progress was set back in 1998, when Ray Sherman took over the job for one year.
"It set him back because he wasn't able to progress in the learning department," Bettis said. "For whatever reason, he and Ray didn't see eye to eye. And because they didn't see eye to eye, it pretty much made his learning progress stagnant.
"That was a lost opportunity."
Stewart's salary jumps from $2.5 million this year to $4.4 million in 2001, but his salary cap figure increases by a smaller amount, from $4.8 million this year to $6 million next year. That is still a bargain for a starting quarterback, and his salary cap number in 2002 is still only $6.9 million.
But the team's coaches and management might believe that Kent Graham's salary next year will be too steep for a backup. His salary goes from $440,000 this year to $1.4 million in 2001, and his salary cap figure goes from $811,800 to $1.9 million.
Gilbride and Stewart have worked well together this season, but if Stewart stays, as seems likely, it will be difficult for the Steelers to keep Graham as well.
The Steelers yesterday opened contract negotiations with Bettis' agent. Bettis wants to stay here, but he also wants to play with a quarterback who will take the pressure off him in the passing game.
"I feel good about him coming back as the starting quarterback," Bettis said. "He's very familiar with the offense, he's showing steady improvement, and guys are starting to make plays for him.
"A quarterback is only as good as the players he's surrounded by. For a while, we hadn't been making the plays to help him become successful."
The Steelers have used their past two first-round draft picks on wide receivers, and neither has done much this season. However, the Steelers still believe Troy Edwards and Plaxico Burress can become good receivers. They could use another receiver with speed.
Losing veteran receivers such as Yancey Thigpen and Charles Johnson did not help Stewart's progress.
"We've been trying to add some young people who, down the road, we think are going to be quality players," Gilbride said. "But they make their own mistakes. If you're going through some difficulty and you magnify that because you have others who are struggling themselves, it makes what already is a difficult, demanding challenge even that much more overwhelming at times.
"There have just been a lot of things that have made it a difficult road for him, but the key is, most of the great ones had a difficult time. It's the ones who can weather those challenges and still stay strong and continue to do the things they have to do to get better, [they] are the ones who become the premier quarterbacks in this league."
Coach Bill Cowher has talked about Stewart's ability to come through the tough times, on and off the field.
"Everyone can say what they want, but this kid keeps coming back," he said.
And he likely will do so in the future.
Stewart resurrected as Steelers' QB hope 
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