Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins—these are the Steelers’ potential quarterbacks, according to idle speculation. Only the first two, of course, are on the roster, the others being with other teams at the moment. And frankly, Darnold looked much more appealing a week and a half ago than he does now.
Aaron Rodgers the most talked-about outside name tied to the Steelers’ quarterback conundrum, though, if it isn’t Russell Wilson. While the smart money is probably on them running it back with Russ, many connect the dots to Rodgers. After all, there is plenty of mutual respect.
Not so fast, though, says Tony Dungy. If the Steelers are going to go the veteran route, they should stick with Wilson instead of chasing Rodgers. That is what he told Dan Patrick yesterday when speaking about the playoffs and the Steelers in particular.
“That would be a short-term answer”, he said, “and I don’t think that’s a good one. If I’m gonna do that, I’d stay with Russell Wilson [rather than add Aaron Rodgers]. I’ve already had a chance to see that for one year, build on that”.
A lot of Steelers fans are ready to run Wilson out of town, though that doesn’t make Rodgers the solution. Dungy, though, is not enamored with the idea of keeping things going as-is, either. Partially because it’s another short-term solution. But he also understands the situation the Steelers are in, with respect to where they typically draft.
“I’d like to get that guy that I can build with for the next 7-8 years”, Dungy said, in preference to a Russell Wilson or an Aaron Rodgers, if he were in charge of the Steelers. “But again, I just don’t know how you do it. They’re not picking high enough to get that in the draft. Can you go out and find one of these younger 28-, 30-year-old quarterbacks? He might be the best answer for the short term.
The most plausible name rather than Wilson or Rodgers is if the Steelers hunt for Sam Darnold. Despite his past two games, he had a very good season on a one-year contract for the Vikings. He threw for over 4,300 yards with 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
The rest of the quarterback free-agency market looks bleak, full of names like Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota, Andy Dalton, Daniel Jones, Tyler Huntley, and Drew Lock. And frankly, if the Steelers are looking at that list, they are not being serious about finding a solution. And if they aren’t looking for a solution this offseason, why not just keep Wilson, or go for Rodgers? At least if they tank, then you might have a higher draft pick. Maybe they can just sign Mason Rudolph back. I’m sure he picked up some nice mayonnaise recipes. If you find a franchise name on this list of quarterbacks in 2025, you have better eyesight than me.
