The Pittsburgh Steelers signed defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale this offseason to a one-year, $2.8 million deal after he spent the previous six seasons with the Cleveland Browns (2019), Jacksonville Jaguars (2020), and New England Patriots (2021-2024).
Recently, he made his feelings known regarding whether or not he wants Aaron Rodgers on the Steelers roster in 2025.
Steelers DT Daniel Ekuale’s Comments
During an appearance on the Chipped Ham & Football podcast (from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Ekuale shared his thoughts on what Rodgers could bring to the Steelers.
The host, Brian Batko, asked Ekuale a question regarding Rodgers, saying, “…What’s the Daniel Ekuale, you know, scouting report facing him from the opposite side of the line of scrimmage last year with the Patriots against the Jets?”
Ekuale started by saying he’s played Rodgers a few times, even when he was with the Green Bay Packers.
He then says, “…I feel like he still got some fire underneath him. I feel like last year, with the Achilles injury, I feel like he is going to bounce back big this year… With A-Rod, man, I just hope the Steelers get him.”
It appears the Steelers are in line to sign the future Hall of Famer after he was spotted throwing with newly added wide receiver D.K. Metcalf a couple of weeks ago.
Batko then asked about Rodgers’s mobility in the pocket, and Ekuale recounted a moment last season on Thursday Night Football.Â
“Last year, I think Thursday night, I let him escape out of the pocket one time… I kind of underestimated… I still thought he was slow from the Achilles injury,” he said.
“So when he escaped that pocket on Thursday night down at MetLife, and I kinda like missed contain and I saw him, I was like, ‘oh my god, I didn’t know this dude still got it in him after that Achilles injury that he had,” Ekuale added.
In that game, Rodgers completed 27 of 35 passes (77.1%) for 281 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and ran three times for 18 yards. The Jets beat the Patriots 24-3.
Steelers Projected Picks in PFSN 7-Round Mock
In PFSN’s latest 7-round mock draft by Reese Decker, here is who Decker expects the Steelers to pick:
- No. 21 overall: Maxwell Hariston, CB, Kentucky
- No. 83 overall: Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville
- No. 123 overall: Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
- No. 156 overall: Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
- No. 185 overall: Mello Dotson, CB, Kansas
- No. 229 overall: Cam Jackson, DT, Florida
What makes their first-round pick even more interesting and points to Decker expecting Rodgers to land there is that Shedeur Sanders goes at No. 33 overall and Jaxson Dart at No. 34 overall. These are the first two picks in the second round.