We’re formally one week away from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Nonetheless, there stays zero readability on the Steelers’ beginning quarterback state of affairs.
On March 21, Aaron Rodgers visited the Steelers’ facility after the Jets launched him per week prior. Nonetheless, practically a month later, Pittsburgh remains to be ready for Rodgers to determine whether or not he needs to proceed taking part in and signal with the group.
“He’s a free agent as you guys know,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin mentioned on the NFL Annual League Assembly final month. “He came over and we had a productive day. He has been on this factor a very long time, however there’s no substitute for intimacy and getting time collectively, attending to know each other in a non-competitive surroundings.
“I don’t have any new updates in terms of where the process is, we’ll see where it leads us.”
Uncertainty on the quarterback place is prone to persist if the Steelers proceed to attend on Rodgers. When Tomlin spoke to the media on the annual conferences on March 31, Rodgers had just a few choices he wanted to contemplate. Since then, extra quarterback jobs have been crammed. The Giants, who have been additionally considering Rodgers at one time, signed each Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.
The Vikings have publicly backed final yr’s first-round choose, J.J. McCarthy, as their beginning quarterback for 2025. But Rodgers continues to stay silent about his future.
After masking Rodgers for 2 seasons, I’m not going to fake I’m in his internal circle nor predict what he may do as a result of the person goes to the beat of his personal drum. But it surely’s clear that if Rodgers needed to actually signal with the Steelers, he would have accomplished it by now.
Pittsburgh begins its offseason program on April 21, and it will be smart for the group to realize some readability on the place Rodgers stands, provided that he must be taught a brand new playbook, meet new teammates, work with new coaches, and regulate to a brand new metropolis.
It was as soon as a foregone conclusion that Rodgers would signal with the Steelers after Justin Fields signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Jets. However that’s definitely not the case. Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports activities reported Wednesday evening that Rodgers is extra prone to retire than signal with a group that isn’t near profitable a Tremendous Bowl.
The issue is that groups near profitable a Tremendous Bowl aren’t sometimes on the lookout for a quarterback who will probably be 42 in December and is coming off a less-than-stellar season. After getting back from a season-ending Achilles tear in 2023, Rodgers didn’t play like a four-time NFL MVP in 2024. He threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Rodgers’ play did enhance down the stretch, however the Jets nonetheless completed 5-12, and he appeared most like a quarterback whose finest days are behind him. He completed twenty fifth in Complete QBR, thirtieth in completion share, and twenty eighth in yards per try amongst certified passers. The Jets have been additionally 3-7 in one-score video games.
Amid a disappointing season, Rodgers informed reporters that he wanted time to determine if he needed to return for a twenty first season. Simply nobody knew it will take this lengthy.
“Just a lot of gratitude for the last 20 years and the countless lives I’ve encountered and the amazing teammates and coaches I now call friends,” Rodgers mentioned in January. “Experiences I’ve had, nice recollections and the quantity of nice those that impacted my life.
“It’s been a long career, I’m really proud of. What I’ve been a part of and what I’ve accomplished. Also looking forward to a nice mental and physical rest.”
Clearly, there’s some doubt about whether or not Rodgers needs to proceed taking part in. Possibly he’s ready for a greater state of affairs that at the moment doesn’t exist. Maybe he’s holding out hope that the Vikings will change their thoughts, permitting him to comply with the identical profession path his former teammate, Brett Favre, took after leaving the Jets.
Both manner, the Steelers should be ready to maneuver on with out him. Tomlin and the Steelers are in a peculiar season.
Pittsburgh has made the playoffs six out of the final 9 seasons underneath Tomlin, together with final season. Nonetheless, the Steelers haven’t gained a playoff recreation since 2016 and the warmth is on Tomlin to right that.
With Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson in the identical division as them, the stress is on the Steelers to discover a answer at quarterback. If Rodgers stays undecided, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart ought to be an choice for the Steelers.
At 6-2, 225 kilos, Dart possesses glorious arm energy and mobility that NFL scouts love. Nonetheless, he didn’t run a pro-style offense at Ole Miss, and sometimes fails to anticipate the place his receivers will probably be, which may result in bother with interceptions and poor selections within the pocket.
The Steelers may additionally draft Alabama’s Jalen Milroe on Day 2 of the draft. The group had dinner with him final month. Pittsburgh doesn’t have a second-round choose after buying broad receiver D.Okay. Metcalf in a commerce with the Seahawks. In order that they must discover a approach to get again into the second spherical in the event that they presumably wish to draft Milroe.
Tomlin has been on document saying the Steelers are “comfortable” with Mason Rudolph beginning at quarterback. However that will be the worst-case situation for Pittsburgh, which has been on the lookout for a franchise quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
The Steelers can not proceed to be held hostage by a quarterback like Rodgers, who can now not elevate a roster as he did for thus a few years in Inexperienced Bay. The Steelers could be smart to draft a quarterback as a substitute of constant to attend on Rodgers, who may hold up his cleats after two troublesome years with the Jets.
