The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a bit of a pickle.
Russell Wilson at quarterback did not go to plan, which has led to intense speculation around the future of the franchise. Justin Fields won four of six starts last season, but he's a free agent, just like Russ. Even if Pittsburgh does want him back, he could walk in favor of a fresh opportunity elsewhere.
The fractured relationship between Wilson and Arthur Smith looms large. Even if running it back with Russ on a short-term deal is the best option available to Pittsburgh, it feels incredibly improbable. The Steelers, equipped with the 21st pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, are not positioned to gamble on an elite rookie. So, Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, and Pittsburgh's top decision-makers face a potentially tumultuous summer.
Unless Tomlin wants to trot out a second-tier rookie like Jaxson Dart or Jalen Milroe, the Steelers' options are simple — either re-sign one of the incumbent QBs against their better judgement, or look to a fairly uninspiring free agent class. Kirk Cousins led the NFL in turnovers last season, Sam Darnold feels strongly like a one-hit wonder (especially if he leaves Minnesota for a team like Pittsburgh), and Jacoby Brissett's days of dependably starting are probably over.
That could, as former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher suspects, lead Tomlin to considering a deeply unpopular option: Aaron Rodgers.
Former Steelers coach thinks Mike Tomlin will consider signing Aaron Rodgers
"I think there’s going to be a sense of urgency, taking some guys on the back end of their careers," Cowher said on The Dan Patrick Show (h/t Trib Live). "T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward. They’re in the latter stages of their careers. So they want to win now. That’s a big part of what they want to do, but you’ve also got to have a plan moving forward and at that position. There will be dialogue there, but those will be conversations taking place in that building."
He expects Aaron Rodgers to stick around, under the belief that the four-time MVP wants to end on a higher note than his New York Jets tenure, which soured in spectacular fashion. Rodgers, 41, is no longer at the peak of his powers, but he was still individually productive last season, throwing for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns. It helps to have such a stacked resume. Rodgers demands a certain level of respect — at least on the football field.
We know how much Tomlin values winning experience. Russ missed the first six weeks of last season, which gave Fields a long runway to win games and earn the trust of his teammates. Despite all the positive momentum Fields built up — and despite the fact that he is more than a decade younger than Russ, with considerably more upside — Tomlin slotted Wilson at QB1 as soon as the vet got healthy.
Rodgers is among the winningest quarterbacks of all time. He has accrued a list of accolades few in NFL history can match. He may not have his fastball anymore, but you'd struggle to find someone who thinks the game as well as Rodgers, and you'd doubly struggle to find someone with a comparable sense of accomplishment. That might be enough for Tomlin to sidestep concerns about durability or longevity, not the mention the distinct clash of styles between Rodgers and Pittsburgh's OC.
This is not the ideal outcome for most Steelers fans, but it's certainly a possible outcome.