Kordell Stewart

Despite creditable performances from Stewart in both 1998 and 1999, the Steelers ended those seasons with losing records of 7-9 and 6-10, respectively. Pittsburgh bounced back in 2000 with a season's record of 9-7. In 2001 the Steelers had its best season in several years, ending with a record of 13-3 and making it to the AFC Championship Game, which they lost, 24-17, to the New England Patriots.

With two weeks left in the 2002 regular season, the Steelers held first place in the AFC North Division, with a record of 8-5-1, but Stewart spent much of his time on the bench. After a disappointing start to the season, coach Cowher in early October benched Stewart as quarterback in favor of Tommy Maddox, former star of the Arena League and the XFL. Although the move cast his future with the Steelers into doubt, Stewart seemed confident he'd return to the game as a starting quarterback, if not in Pittsburgh than elsewhere in the NFL. "I can't control what other people do," Stewart told the Associated Press. "I've proven myself time and time again, so to express myself and explain myself again, what would that benefit? … If this is the direction they want to go, fine, so be it, but everybody else knows, and this organization knows, what I can do."