New Steelers running back makes Aaron Rodgers more inevitable for Pittsburgh

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the baffling fall of Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft has a complicating factor that other teams passing on the Colorado quarterback don't quite have involved: Aaron Rodgers. While bringing in Sanders as a potential understudy to the veteran Rodgers would make some sense, there has been a quiet buzz that the Steelers are still waiting and trying to sort out the situation with the former Packers and Jets quarterback to solidify that.

Such a decision from Rodgers on playing for the Steelers, as reported by insider Ian Rapoport on the NFL Network broadcast of the draft, could come soon. We'll still wait to see if Pittsburgh drafts a quarterback to add to a room that currently has only Mason Rudolph under contract. However, the unknown with Rodgers that results from his now-typical enigmatic behavior gives the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh an air of uncertainty.

After the Steelers' lone pick on Day 3 of the 2025 draft, though, it does feel like we have more certainty with Rodgers.

The Steelers, who didn't have a second-round pick after trading it to Seattle for DK Metcalf, were back on the clock with the 83rd overall pick. Pittsburgh selected Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson with the pick. That's a smart move after Najee Harris' departure this offseason, but the Iowa Hawkeyes product also has an unexpected Aaron Rodgers connection that semes to provide some smoke.

New Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson has been working out with Aaron Rodgers

Per a recent Instagram story from Johnson during the draft process, the running back has actually been working out with Rodgers this offseason (h/t Blitzburgh).

While there was never a guarantee that Johnson was going to be there for the Steelers, he had to have some indication that Pittsburgh was interested. So the fact that he and Rodgers have already preloaded a connection with their offseason workouts doesn't feel like something we can remotely ignore at this point.

Rodgers has been exceptionally deliberate in making his decision on the Steelers and otherwise. You also have to wonder how he's watching their draft and what he's weighing there in his process. However, as he continues to definitely not hold Pittsburgh hostage as they try to find the answer at quarterback, the fact that the team is giving him some semblance of familiarity with Johnson feels important.

Does that mean the Steelers won't draft a quarterback, Sanders or otherwise? It shouldn't mean that, to be clear. Rudolph is a known commodity, but both he and Rodgers should ideally be viewed as short-term solutions, so Pittsburgh needs to at least take a swing on finding an answer for their future at the position.

For everyone who has already put Aaron Rodgers on the Steelers, though, it does feel like their non-quarterback pick with Johnson in the third round only raises the sense the inevitability that he'll be in Pittsburgh sooner rather than later.