Aaron Rodgers was brought in to be the solution to the quarterback problems that have plagued the Pittsburgh Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022. But what if he isn't?
Rodgers, while a four-time MVP and future first-ballot Hall of Famer, turns 42 during the 2025 NFL campaign. He's thrown double-digit interceptions in each of his past two healthy seasons, something we only saw once in his previous 16 years as a starter. But above all, his ego and larger-than-life personality could rot Pittsburgh to the core from within; just ask the New York Jets.
With that in mind, the Steelers should keep these six passers in the back of their mind, in case the Rodgers-Pittsburgh partnership proves futile quickly.
6. Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
This one's obvious, but Rudolph should be ready to be called on at any moment. He reunited with the Steelers in March following a brief stint with the Tennessee Titans. Pittsburgh's QB2 was in line to start throughout Rodgers' well-chronicled dalliance with the team that lasted months before an agreement was officially reached. If things go haywire, this will likely be the Steelers' first pivot.
There was ostensibly some level of faith that Rudolph could handle the responsibility of leading the offense if Rodgers didn't sign. Whether that's a proper assessment is up for debate, but the Steelers' actions suggest they were willing to see their vision through. For whatever it's worth, the longtime backup went 8-4-1 in 13 starts with Pittsburgh from 2019 to 2023.
5. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Hear me out. We just saw the success that Justin Fields enjoyed in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's scheme. It wasn't always pretty, nor do the stats necessarily jump out at you, but the Black and Gold won games. Why can't they take a similar approach with Richardson?
Pittsburgh sheltered Fields with an ultra-conservative offensive approach and stout defense, maximizing his unique physical traits. Richardson, an S-tier athlete who's even bigger, stronger and faster than Fields, would be an intriguing plug-and-play replacement.
The Steelers don't have a great track record of developing quarterbacks, to put it mildly, and Richardson is as unfinished a product as you'll find. Nonetheless, the Colts are just about done with him, and offseason free-agent addition Daniel Jones has the inside track to being Indy's Week 1 starter. This would be a high-risk, high-reward reclamation swing for Pittsburgh, though the upside may be worth chasing.
4. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Yes, there are reasonable concerns about inheriting the remainder of Cousins' four-year, $180 million pact he signed with Atlanta last offseason. However, two things should put the Steelers at ease about the idea: a cheap quarterback room otherwise and the potential out in his deal.
If Cousins enters the mix as a Rodgers fill-in and also flops, the Steelers would be (somewhat) protected. They'd be able to cut him after this year, dropping his dead cap hit from $57.5 million to $45 million. Of course, that's still a considerable amount of money, but the current position group will collectively make around $25 million in 2025. Several franchises are paying $50-plus million for one QB, so Pittsburgh can afford to spread the wealth throughout the depth chart.
3. Jameis Winston, New York Giants
It's highly doubtful that the Giants' 53-man roster features four signal-callers. Consequently, Winston or Tommy DeVito might be the odd man out. For this writing, let's presume it'll be the former, who has already been connected to other squads and is too accomplished a passer to sit third string behind Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart.
Saints star defender Cameron Jordan specifically went "all in" on mentioning Winston as a target. New Orleans has reportedly pushed back on the idea since, at least for now, giving the Steelers a chance to beat them to the punch.
Winston's gunslinging ways aren't the cleanest fit with how Pittsburgh prefers to operate. But the 2015 No. 1 pick would instantly be their most proven non-Rodgers option. He's a one-time Pro Bowler and has one of only 15 5,000-yard passing seasons in league history, in addition to founding the infamous 30-30 (touchdown-interception) club.
2. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
Like the Giants, the Browns currently have four quarterbacks on their roster. Unlike New York, Cleveland is bizarrely considering hanging onto all of them. But if they don't, Flacco would likely net the best return of the bunch in a trade due to his pedigree and experience.
Flacco has proven capable of being thrown into a fire and extinguishing it as a calming presence under center. Not only can the 40-year-old manage a scoring unit at this stage in his career, but his arm talent also allows him to elevate it. Pittsburgh already has one elder statesman passer and can lean into the concept further with some help from an AFC North foe.
1. Derek Carr, retired
Does anyone believe Carr will stay retired? No one has taken his decision to hang up the cleats as a goodbye to football; it seems he just wanted out of New Orleans. But if he does make a not-so-shocking return to the league, the Steelers present an ideal landing spot, assuming the Rodgers experiment fails.
New Orleans has Carr's contract on their payroll, so it'd take a trade to get him to Pittsburgh. Yet, it shouldn't require more than a late-round draft pick to facilitate a swap, making it rather easy for the Steelers to get involved. The four-time Pro Bowler has plenty left in the tank if his shoulder injury heals.
Carr was fourth in adjusted net yards per attempt in 2024 (7.57), eighth in touchdown percentage (5.4), ninth in completion rate (67.7) and tenth in passer rating (101.0) in 2024. By many metrics, he can be a valuable addition for the Steelers or any other QB-needy organization.