ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano tackled some of the biggest questions remaining in the offseason. One of the questions he answered was why the Pittsburgh Steelers did not look at available quarterback options more seriously.
He revealed that the Steelers are not as concerned about their quarterback situation as everyone else.
Steelers Believe Aaron Rodgers Will Be Their Starter
The Steelers watched as both of their starting quarterbacks from last season, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, left in free agency. They then brought back Mason Rudolph, whose most famous act in a Pittsburgh uniform was getting attacked by Myles Garrett.
However, the Steelers have faith in Rudolph as he was the starting quarterback in their playoff game in 2023. He threw for 229 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the 2023 AFC Wildcard game against the Buffalo Bills.
The two other quarterback options on the roster are perennial backup Skylar Thompson and sixth-round rookie Will Howard. Graziano mentioned that Steelers general manager Omar Khan has indicated they intend to have four quarterbacks in training camp, so one spot is still vacant. Training camp usually begins at the end of July, so the team has slightly more than two months to decide on the last quarterback.
Graziano added that the Steelers are optimistic that they will land 4-time MVP and current free agent Aaron Rodgers.
“First of all, they remain optimistic that Rodgers will sign and be their starter, and that he’ll play better than he did last season for the Jets now that he’s one year further removed from his 2023 Achilles injury. Second of all, they like Rudolph and have fresh memories of him saving their 2023 season and leading them to the playoffs when 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett struggled,” Graziano explained.
Rodgers visited the Steelers’ facility in March but left without signing with the team. He is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he played in all 17 games. The Jets missed the playoffs with a 5-12 record, but the 41-year-old quarterback showed he has plenty left in the tank by completing 368 passes for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Steelers Could Be in the QB Market in the 2026 NFL Draft
Graziano added that the Steelers are aware that they need to find a long-term answer at quarterback, regardless of whether they sign Rodgers or not.
However, he believes the Steelers view the 2026 NFL Draft as having more to offer than the 2025 NFL Draft. They experienced first-hand what it means to pick a quarterback in a poor draft class when they took Kenny Pickett in 2022. Pickett was the only quarterback in the first 73 picks of the draft that year.
Next year’s NFL Draft is forecasted to have more first-round worthy quarterbacks than the recent draft class. College quarterbacks like Texas’ Arch Manning, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, and Penn State’s Drew Allar are possible prospects the Steelers could target in the draft next year.