Steelers are smart enough to steer clear of disastrous Russell Wilson replacement

It may depend which way the wind blows on a given day as to what the Pittsburgh Steelers plan to do at quarterback heading into the 2025 season. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are the obvious incumbents who could return to the fold but it currently seems like either of those players are a formality to re-sign in Pittsburgh. Then there's a weak QB draft class or the possibility of a trade if not in free agency.

There are plenty of doors that could open for the Steelers, though it should be said that none are truly all that enticing. What's clear, however, is that Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan need to find some sort of solution and stabilizing force. Given the headaches George Pickens is causing and the dramatic fall-off we saw from the Wilson-led offense at the end of the year, they need something to right the ship.

Luckily for Steelers fans, though, it does seem like the organization won't exacerbate the problem in an attempt to try and fix the issues at quarterback.

During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Pittsburgh insider Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette made it clear that, while many options are open to the Steelers at quarterback, it won't be current Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

"I can tell you it won't be Aaron Rodgers," Dulac said. "They have no interest in doing that."

Steelers not entertaining Aaron Rodgers as a Russell Wilson replacement

There are certainly fans and analysts alike who maintain some hope that the Achilles tear that Rodgers suffered in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign, his first game with New York, can still bounce back in 2025. He showed far more flashes in the second half of the 2024 season than when he initially returned. But, at 41 years old, that's far from a guarantee, which isn't something Pittsburgh should be banking on.

More than that, though, the Steelers again need a stabilizing force. One of the inherent issues with how the 2024 campaign was handled was benching Fields after a 4-2 start for Wilson. It flashed beautifully initially but petered out into oblivion when it mattered most down the stretch and in the postseason.

Rodgers is anything but a stabilizing force. Not only is there the clear uncertainty with what the four-time MVP actually has left in the tank, but there's also the simple truth that he's been a lightning-rod for controversy over the past four-plus years. Is that really something that the Steelers should be setting themselves up for more of? Does it really sound like Tomlin would want his QB1 appearing and opining with Pat McAfee weekly on ESPN? That seems far out of character.

But hey, this is all a good sign that the Steelers aren't interested in any of this. It would be a top-tier awful idea for Pittsburgh to consider. And while it may remain to be seen how Pittsburgh answers the quarterback conundrum before them, it's at least the first sniff of optimism that they won't take the worst possible course of action when it comes to that.