March is in full swing, and while we aren't even a month removed from the Super Bowl, all eyes are on the 2023 season. 

The new league year begins on March 15th, and also kicks off the start of free agency. 

Not exactly the spring football you see in other leagues, but the narratives coming out of the next few weeks are worth an Oscar nomination (tune in Sunday by the way).

With legal tampering starting on Monday the 13th, franchises will "batten down the hatches" in preparation for the storm that is free agency. 

The Steelers are no different, with key decisions to make regarding their own free agents, and the class to be. 

One of the more paramount choices revolves around the backup quarterback position. 

GM Omar Khan made it clear that the team wants Mitch Tribusuky back in the black and gold, but his cap number of $10.625 million is hefty for a clipboard warrior. 

If Pittsburgh wanted to cut bait with Tribusky, there is a bevy of suitable signal callers on the market. 

But no one fits the Pittsburgh offense better than Marcus Mariota. His dimensions (6'4-225) parallel Kenny Pickett's (6'3-220) with their quarterback play mimicking one another. 

Both are athletic passers, who prefer a rolling pocket, play action concepts, and vertical threats on the boundary. 

Remember Pittsburgh fans, this isn't a coup to unseat Pickett, rather, view it as insurance should the sophomore go down with an injury. 

When you consider the scheme that offensive coordinator Matt Canada employs, There was thought that Mariota would have been a target in free agency last year, prior to the Trubusky signing. 

Often deemed "gimmicky" or "college-like" many of Canada's concepts are reminiscent of the offense Mariota ran en route to his Heisman-winning campaign at Oregon.  

Now I know Mariota isn't coming off the best year in Atlanta, and I know he has dealt with his own injury concerns. 

However, this is a 29-year-old veteran who is a known leader of men and regarded as a consummate professional on and off the field. 

Pittsburgh hasn't had a truly reliable backup quarterback since Charlie batch was signaling trick plays to Ben Rothlisberger. 

Quarterback depth has never been as important as it is in today's NFL. Players go down at a high clip, with Kenny Pickett getting first-hand experience last year. 

The only thing that could prevent the signing is the dollar amount. If Mariota is seeking a figure close to what Tribusky is on the books for, then obviously it makes no sense to bring him in. 

But considering how things ended in Atlanta last season, perhaps Mariota understands what's best for his future. 

It's time this former duck flocks north for the summer.