The quarterback market was once stagnant, due in part to Aaron Rodgers taking his time to make a decision. Rodgers recently visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, but left without a deal in place. Even though the talks were positive, there is no sense a deal will be agreed upon urgently. With that, the Steelers are stuck in purgatory of sorts, waiting for Rodgers to give them an answer.
Well, one team that was in on Rodgers decided to move on, not waiting for the four-time NFL MVP to reach an answer. The New York Giants first signed Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8 million deal, seemingly as the bridge quarterback. But on Tuesday, the Giants agreed to terms with Russell Wilson on a one-year, $10.5 million contract.
The Giants quarterback room looks a lot better than it did a week ago. Meanwhile, the Steelers only have Mason Rudolph as they continue to wait for Rodgers. The Giants have some more clarity when it comes to the quarterback position. And now, they can draft their quarterback of the future as well during the NFL Draft next month.
Giants, unlike Steelers, have QB plan before NFL Draft
Before the signings of the Wilson and Winston, the Giants quarterback position looked dire, The only option on the roster was Tommy DeVito. Now, they have two quarterbacks that can feasibly start (yes, including Winston).
With just DeVito and even Winston on the roster, it felt as though the Giants needed to take a quarterback early. Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders were the only two viable first-round prospects at the position. But with the Tennessee Titans appearing more and more likely they will stay at the No. 1 spot to take Ward, and Sanders emerging as a possibility to go second-overall to the Cleveland Browns, the Giants seemingly pivoted to bringing in Wilson.
Now, the Giants have a luxury. They don't have to make an aggressive move to get their quarterback of the future early. They could opt to use the No. 3 pick on the best player available, whether it be Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter. Then, they could use a Day 2 or 3 pick on a quarterback to develop.
Meanwhile, for the Steelers, they opted to bring in Wilson and Justin Fields last year as a one-year fix. Even though Fields showed some promise early in the season, Tomlin handed the reins off to Wilson. Now, this offseason, both are gone. Fields could have been a quarterback of the future for the Steelers, who were interested in bringing him back. Instead, he signed with the New York Jets as their undisputed starter.
Now, the Steelers run the risk of Rodgers deciding not to sign with them, as there are no other viable starting options available in free agency or the trade block. Rodgers can either wait for an opening on a team later this summer or retire. That could force the Steelers to use their first-round pick (No. 21 overall) on a quarterback, possibly a Jaxson Dart. Would the Steelers willingly enter the season with Mason Rudolph as the starter? That doesn't exactly instill confidence in the Steelers fanbase.
The Giants now have a set plan at quarterback. If they miss out on Ward or Sanders, they don't have to panic on draft night and reach for another option, or give up the farm to move up to take one of the two aforementioned quarterbacks. As for the Steelers, they continue to wait on Rodgers to make up his mind, and there's no timeline for a decision.