Of all the offseason storylines, one of the few still unresolved is who will start at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. Will the team stick with Mason Rudolph, a familiar face, or will they land veteran star Aaron Rodgers to reignite their hopes of title contention in the 2025 season?
PFSN’s Brandon Austin compiled a list of one free agent each NFL team could still sign before the season kicks off, and for the Steelers, he projected the Rodgers saga to have a happy ending.
Steelers Predicted To Sign Aaron Rodgers Ahead of 2025 Season
No team has made it this far into the offseason with such uncertainty at a crucial position as quarterback. It’s already June, and the Steelers’ current QB room features Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, and rookie Will Howard, a sixth-round pick. It’s hard to believe this group is in any position to contend for a title, especially in the ultra-competitive AFC North.
In 2024, the team experimented with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson and managed to produce a relatively solid result. At one point, Pittsburgh held a 10-3 record, but the season ended with five straight losses, including a wild-card defeat to the Baltimore Ravens.
Heading into 2025, it became clear the team needed more firepower within the conference. And while Rodgers may no longer be the same player who won back-to-back MVPs in 2020 and 2021, under the right circumstances, he could still have one last quality season left before finally walking away — something he’s hinted at for years.
“The Steelers are hoping and believing that Aaron Rodgers is gonna be their Quarterback..
They still don’t 100% know that tho” ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/scYdXSDu6w
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 3, 2025
Austin pointed out that signing Rodgers makes sense as a short-term solution for the current version of the Steelers. It presents a bridge option that could buy the franchise time as it looks for a long-term answer in the seasons ahead.
“Some fans may argue that it’s time for the Steelers to hit the reset button and position themselves for a top draft pick in 2026, but that’s not how Mike Tomlin and Company operate. If Pittsburgh wants to be competitive this upcoming season, Rodgers offers the best chance to stabilize the quarterback position and fight for a playoff spot,” Austin wrote.
Despite a down year, Rodgers’ numbers weren’t nearly as disastrous as some might think. He finished with 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, most of which came late in the season when the Jets were already out of playoff contention. Still, his production showed that putting up numbers isn’t the issue for the veteran.
The Steelers signed DK Metcalf to a four-year, $132 million deal to serve as a true offensive anchor — something George Pickens was unable to consistently provide. Rather than extend Pickens, the team traded him to the Dallas Cowboys. So even with Rodgers potentially on board, there’s still a chance Pittsburgh’s passing attack remains one-dimensional.
That said, if there’s anyone capable of maximizing this current roster and giving the Steelers a real shot at being competitive, it’s Rodgers. For both sides, this might just be the best opportunity in 2025 to stay relevant and shake up the NFL in the process.
