The Pittsburgh Steelers will certainly look different behind center next season than they do this one. For now, Mike McCarthy's team is enjoying the final season of Aaron Rodgers' storied professional career, with the four-time Associated Press NFL MVP dead set on retirement after it concludes. The general consensus is that general manager Omar Khan will find his team a young passer in next year's 2027 NFL Draft. Or the Steelers could see what they have in the two inexperienced passers they already have on the roster, Will Howard and Drew Allar.
There might be another possible plan of action, however. It seems that Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have been unhappy in their marriage since winning Super Bowl LIX, and the two sides might end up ripping the bandaid off if this campaign doesn't end on a positive note.
Why would a Steelers-Jalen Hurts partnership make sense?
Last month, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman pushed back against the idea that this is a "make or break" year for Hurts in Philadelphia.
"I know there are a lot of fan bases out there that would love the results we've had with him as our starting quarterback," Roseman said.
The Steelers are certainly one of those teams. As fun as it is to watch an all-time great at the controls for Pittsburgh, the Steelers have cycled through signal-callers since Ben Roethlisberger rode off into the sunset.
The Steelers' postseason win drought is nearing a decade, while they've seen the Eagles reach three Super Bowls and raise the Lombardi Trophy twice during that same span.
Philadelphia currently only trails the New York Giants in the NFC East standings, but the Eagles are dealing with their fair share of injuries. Running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) is out for the team's Week 5 clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. As are receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Marquise Brown (ankle).
Not to mention, Roseman just sent center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens, which signals a white flag of some sort might already be flying for the Eagles.
If Hurts and company struggle while the team tries to get healthy, leading to the same sort of frustrations they dealt with a season ago, the vibes might be too bad in Philadelphia to run it back with the same faces.
If the Steelers don't want to deal with the growing pains that come with bringing along a unseasoned signal-caller, they could try to speed up the process and ring in a new era with a proven veteran.
A fresh start would probably suit Hurts well, especially in a smaller media market. The Steelers have also built through the trenches, and could use the early-round picks they'd otherwise use to find the next face of their offense — they might have to package some capital to move up and get the guy they want — on weapons or bolstering their aging defense.
It's not every day that a quarterback as successful as Hurts comes available. If he does this offseason, it's hard not to think Khan and McCarthy would be interested.
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