The Pittsburgh Steelers occupy a critical inflection point in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. General manager Omar Khan has several paths laid out before him, but it's unclear where exactly the Steelers are leaning.
DK Metcalf's arrival addresses Pittsburgh's meek wide receiver room, but there are still needs across the board offensively. The o-line requires reinforcements. Another running back isn't out of the question. And, of course, Pittsburgh still lacks a viable quarterback.
Mason Rudolph is the only QB on the Steelers roster with meaningful starting experience. He served fine as a stopgap in Kenny Pickett's stead a couple years ago, but Pittsburgh can hardly feel good about him as QB1 on the dawn of training camp.
Equipped with the No. 21 pick, Pittsburgh has been amply connected to quarterbacks in the draft. Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, and Jalen Milroe are all names worth monitoring. One factor does stand in their way, however: the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers.
The four-time MVP is basically down to two options: sign in Pittsburgh or retire. Rodgers has willfully kept both doors open for an absurd length of time, but with the NFL Draft on the horizon, now feels like a great time to pony up and render a decision.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, that just ain't going to happen.
Aaron Rodgers has ghosted the Steelers front office on the eve of the NFL Draft
The Steelers are in a "holding pattern" with Aaron Rodgers, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
"Sources tell me Pittsburgh has not received further updates from the four-time MVP following his Pat McAfee Show appearance last Thursday, in which he said he was 'open to anything and attached to nothing' while he continued to focus on off-field matters," she writes.
This has been the story for weeks now. Rodgers has earned the right to make a decision on his terms, but the 41-year-old has put the Steelers in an impossible position. It seems like Pittsburgh is content rostering both a rookie QB and Rodgers if it comes down to it, but how does Rodgers feel about that? And would Rodgers' potential feelings on sharing the locker room with his successor impact how Pittsburgh proceeds? We just don't know.
The Steelers certainly can't afford to change their NFL Draft plans on the stray chance that it pushes Rodgers away. There is much more value in installing a long-term solution, like Shedeur Sanders, than there is in rostering Rodgers for one season and then going back to square one after another 10-win campaign and first-round flameout.
Pittsburgh's goal should be to sign Rodgers and use him as a bridge quarterback while their rookie, be it Sanders, Dart, or a lesser-known second-round prospect, works in the shadows with designs on taking over in 2026. For all the understandable criticisms of Rodgers, the player and the person, he is still the best option left in free agency for a team in dire need. There is plenty of upside with the QBs in this draft, but none are set-and-forget starters out of the gate.
Ideally, Rodgers would call up Pittsburgh this afternoon and inform them on his choice — to play or not to play. It would ease tension in the fanbase and give the front office a clear vision of what's to come. That plainly won't happen, though, so expect the guessing game to extend through Thursday night, whether the Steelers select a quarterback or not.