The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired veteran wide receiver DK Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for a second-round pick and a late-round pick swap on Sunday. Along with securing a weapon to accompany wide receiver George Pickens on the perimeter, the massive trade instantly made the Steelers a more desirable destination for any quarterback in free agency.
If the season started today, the Steelers wouldn’t have a quarterback to trot onto the field. Pittsburgh currently doesn’t have a quarterback on their roster, as veteran passers Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen are all poised to be free agents.
The Steelers have attempted to find a solution at the quarterback position ever since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. Over the past four seasons, they’ve acquired quarterbacks from free agency, trades and the NFL draft. So far, none of them have moved the needle, and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is running out of time to make progress.
Mike Tomlin may be risking his job with Aaron Rodgers
Pittsburgh planned on making an offer to former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency, but another former NFC North quarterback has suddenly emerged as a potential option. The Steelers are in significant talks with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a deal could be reached shortly, Steelers beat writer Alan Saunders reported on Monday.
Tomlin, the longest-tenured head coach in the league, is well-known for never posting a losing record in his 18-year tenure. That feat has garnered plenty of praise, but it has also begun to lose its luster, especially since Tomlin now holds a losing record in the postseason.
The Steelers ended the 2024 season with a humiliating loss against the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round, marking their fifth consecutive postseason loss in the past eight years. Before that streak began in the 2017-18 AFC Championship Game, Tomlin had a .571 winning percentage in the postseason. Since then, he has dropped to a 8-11 playoff record (.421).
The Steelers are known for rarely firing their coaches, but whispers about Tomlin’s job security have grown louder. As Pittsburgh fans become impatient for progress, Rodgers is a volatile quarterback to bet on at this stage of his career. The 41-year-old is the oldest active quarterback in the league, and he’s been underwhelming ever since his last MVP season in 2021. In recent years, Rodgers seems more likely to make headlines off the field than on it.
Tomlin has found immense success in Pittsburgh. He’s led the Steelers to a 183-107-2 record (.630) in the regular season and won his first championship as a head coach in Super Bowl XLIII. With Rodgers at the helm, Tomlin is more likely to see his coaching stint come to an end than he is to win a second Super Bowl.