The Pittsburgh Steelers could be preparing for when things inevitably go south with Aaron Rodgers. He’s on his own time and the longer he holds out, the more likely he’s leaning away from the Steelers or even retiring altogether.
The good thing is the Steelers are already getting contingency plans in place. Their latest option is Jaxson Dart as the Steelers are set to host him in April ahead of the NFL Draft.
Currently the Steelers have Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson as the rostered quarterbacks. That means they are surely taking a quarterback with the 21st pick. The question is who.
Rumors have circulated that maybe Jalen Milroe is in play and now another quarterback has surfaced in what everyone is hinting could be the steal of the draft in Dart.
Pittsburgh shouldn't bank on Aaron Rodgers when their perfect future quarterback is in the upcoming draft
Dart to Pittsburgh feels almost like a done deal. Not because the Steelers have said they’re going to take him, but because he’s the perfect quarterback for the squad.
He had a stellar Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, so much so that he has soared from being a mid-to-late round pick to possibly being the third quarterback taken in the first round. I think the Steelers would have great value with Dart at No. 21.
Selfishly, I’d love for him to land with the Cleveland Browns with the No. 33 pick, but it’s becoming clear he may not fall out of the first round. Dart had an odd season with Ole Miss. He played at an elite level, but his late season collapse kind of marred his draft stock.
Since then, he’s repaired it incredibly with some analysts seriously thinking the New York Giants might take him at No. 3. I doubt he goes that high, but the first round isn’t out of the question.
Kenny Pickett was a flop for the Steelers and since his tenure resulted in him being traded to in-state rival Philadelphia, Pittsburgh has been on the hunt for their future quarterback.
They rented Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for a season and that didn’t result in a playoff win so they opened the revolving door at the most important position for another year. If there’s any year they could look at a long term answer, this would be that.
Pittsburgh hasn’t been shy about bringing in veterans as a bridge option. But this would give them the chance to finally build with young talent again. If Mike Tomlin could have winning seasons with Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph under center, I’m sure he’d love to have someone more promising in Dart.
I’m not saying he ends up on a trajectory like Ben Roethlisberger. But Pittsburgh has done their due diligence in getting weapons on the offense. Whoever is under center would have a lot to work with.
That could very well be Dart if the Steelers are impressed with his visit in April; and if he’s still there when they are on the clock on Apr. 24.