Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft has officially come and gone, and the Pittsburgh Steelers (willingly) left without a quarterback.
Pittsburgh passed up on Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, among other young signal-callers, which ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ostensibly took personal offense to. Instead, the Steelers selected Derrick Harmon of Oregon, an eventual successor to longtime franchise defensive tackle Cam Heyward, a fascinating albeit unsurprising move.
Intel leading up to the draft suggested the Steelers would bypass a QB regardless of whether Sanders was on the board, which proved true. Pittsburgh is seemingly still holding out hope for veteran free agent Aaron Rodgers to sign with them -- despite no clarity that a deal is imminent. While the four-time MVP claims he's not "holding anybody hostage," it feels like he's taken the Black and Gold captive.
Aaron Rodgers is holding the Steelers hostage, whether he thinks so or not
NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that the Steelers "communicated" with Rodgers at the beginning of draft week to check in on him. But frankly, it sounded more like an ultimatum.
I'm told the #Steelers communicated with Aaron Rodgers at the beginning of the week that they would like to receive an answer from him before the Draft (at least 48 hours), per league source.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) April 25, 2025
Steelers know the outcome of that conversation...
Anderson notes that the Steelers informed Rodgers they'd "like to receive an answer from him before the draft [ends]." However, she also mentions that Pittsburgh knew how that discussion would turn out.
Rodgers has had a standing offer from the Steelers since March, with no signs of putting pen to paper. The 41-year-old said his current "focus will be on [his] personal life during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. He left the door open for retirement, as has been the case for several months. Pittsburgh nudging him won't change anything.
Conversely, given Rodgers' attention-seeking ways and status as a polarizing figure, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Steelers rushing him have the opposite effect. Dragging this never-ending saga out even further after being approached with a soft deadline sounds incredibly on-brand. He's become notoriously petty, demonstrated by publicly besmirching his former employer, the New York Jets, and their new head coach, Aaron Glenn.
Meanwhile, the Steelers continue to operate as if Rodgers will walk through the doors in time for training camp. Nonetheless, what Pittsburgh has working in its favor is that there are multiple young passers still available. No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart were the only ones chosen in Round 1.