The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t closing any doors until they have a starting quarterback. General manager Omar Khan met with the media Tuesday at the NFL Combine, keeping an open mind when it comes to who will start under center in 2025.
“We went into this understanding that we had three quarterbacks in the last year of their deal,” Khan told reporters this morning, attended by Steelers Depot’s Joe Clark. “Until we get one of those guys, or, or two of those guys, or some combination of ’em signed up, all options are on the table.”
It’s an expected answer from Khan as the Steelers are still without a starter under contract. Pittsburgh technically has one quarterback under contract, inking Skylar Thompson to a Reserve/Futures deal shortly after the regular season ended. But he’s only in line to be a backup, not a starter.
It’s a situation the Steelers knew they would find themselves in. Overhauling their entire quarterback room ahead of 2024, the Steelers signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal and traded for Justin Fields, declining his fifth-year option and making him a free agent this March. Even third-stringer Kyle Allen signed just a one-year contract. It’s unusual for a team to have every quarterback on its roster on an expiring deal but the goal was to use the 2024 season to evaluate the group in the hopes of finding a long-term answer to commit to.
Ultimately, the situation remains hazy. Fields started the season and led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record but struggled to elevate the offense. Wilson showed he was capable of doing that before he and the team cratered in a five-game losing streak that ended with another one-and-done playoff finish.
Owner Art Rooney II is on record stating his preference is to re-sign Wilson or Fields. But Khan seems to be taking an even broader view, keeping the door open for an external name to be added. Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford is a hot name potentially on the trade block, though he’d be expensive to acquire in contract and draft capital. Veteran free agents like Aaron Rodgers have also been linked to Pittsburgh, though local media has downplayed the notion knowing Rodgers is truly a one-year stopgap.
It doesn’t even appear Khan is ruling out adding a rookie. The 2025 QB class isn’t regarded as one of the draft’s top groups but Pittsburgh could target a Round 2 prospect like Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, or Ohio State’s Will Howard.
Until there’s an answer, everything is on the table.
