Tony Dungy: Loyalty to Terry Bradshaw led to Steelers passing on Dan Marino in 1983 NFL Draft

When the Pittsburgh Steelers were approaching the 2022 NFL Draft, there was rampant speculation about what the organization would do to replace the retired Ben Roethlisberger. It was an issue the Steelers had not had since 2004, and was in some ways, reminiscent of the 1983 NFL Draft, when the Steelers made the infamous decision to pass on Dan Marino knowing that Terry Bradshaw had offseason elbow surgery.

There could not have been a more perfect fit, especially to Art Rooney and Dan Rooney. Hailing from South Oakland, Marino was a Pittsburgh boy who they had watched quarterback at Central Catholic and brought the University of Pittsburgh to the brink of the National Championship. If there were two things the Rooney’s had always valued, it was a love of Pittsburgh and a dedication to the Catholic faith. They were even close to Marino, who personally asked the Chief himself to draft him.

On the day of the 1983 NFL Draft, Dan Rooney tried to convince Chuck Noll, Art Rooney Jr., and Dick Haley that the team should draft Marino. Rooney included they should trade Cliff Stoudt to acquire a second-round pick so they could still draft Gabe Rivera, the DT that Noll had targeted. But Dan Rooney made a mistake in not presenting the idea as his own but suggested by John Clayton. The chorus of groans and heckles ended that discussion. Instead, the decision would haunt the franchise for 20 years as the one that got away.

Marino’s draft stock dropped after a disappointing senior season at Pitt, which was stained by rumors of drug use. Coming off a junior season which he threw 37 TDs, Marino had only 17 TDs and 23 INTs as a senior, the unsubstantiated rumors were enough to stick and keep teams from drafting Marino. That included Noll and the Steelers, as he admitted when appearing on a WTAE-AM talk show and reported by the AP in May 1992.

Noll never doubted Marino’s ability, but there were three considerations:

1) The experience with Joe Gilliam haunted Noll and, fair or not, he did not want to bring in a quarterback with similar question marks. 

2) He recognized that the league was transforming into a passing league and felt that Rivera, a behemoth defensive tackle from Texas Tech with an uncanny ability to pressure the quarterback, would be the cornerstone of the defense like Joe Greene. 

3) There was the third factor, as Tony Dungy revealed in "Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work" by Michael MacCambridge that was more than a little surprising:

“It was a weird time, and Chuck was very loyal to those guys. Drafting Marino, as much as Bradshaw says he didn’t care about his feelings and stuff, that would have killed Bradshaw, and he still thought he was going to play a couple more years. There was a lot to that. It changed the course of the franchise, for sure.”

Given the relationship between Noll and Bradshaw, it's a revelation that one would never have expected. It does show, however, that Noll was not as cold as his demeanor appeared. Interestingly, Noll's real opinion of Marino may have surfaced when the Miami Dolphins selected him six picks later as Noll called Don Shula to congratulate him with a very prophetic statement: “You probably got the best guy in the draft.”

Despite not drafting Marino, the Steelers remained a competitive team at different points in the 1980s, thanks in large part to the leadership of Noll. However, it's impossible to know what might have happened if the Steelers had taken Marino in 1983. Marino went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Dolphins, setting numerous passing records and leading his team to the Super Bowl in his second season.

Ultimately, the decision not to draft Marino is one of the many "what-ifs" in NFL history. While it's impossible to know exactly how things would have played out if the Steelers had taken Marino, it's clear that he was a generational talent at the quarterback position. Even if Marino's career had not been as successful in Pittsburgh as it was in Miami, he likely would have been a valuable addition to the team and could have helped them continue their winning ways throughout the 1980s and beyond.

Steelers Nearly Sign Dan Marino In 2000

Marino was linked to the Steelers late in his career. After 17 seasons with the Dolphins, Marino became a free agent in 2000 and reportedly considered signing with the Steelers. At the time, the Steelers were in need of a quarterback to replace Kordell Stewart, who had struggled in the previous season two seasons. Marino, who was 38 years old at the time, was still considered a productive quarterback, despite some concerns about his durability.

In the end, Marino decided to retire rather than sign with the Steelers or any other team. He cited his desire to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests as the reasons for his decision. Despite not joining the Steelers, Marino's impact on the game of football is undeniable, and his name will always be associated with greatness.