With a major need at quarterback and no clear answer in free agency or via trade, the Pittsburgh Steelers could look to the 2025 NFL Draft to try and find a long-term answer to a question that has plagued them since the end of the Ben Roethlisberger era.
That long-term answer could be Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who brings a blend of athleticism and power to the position as a dual-threat weapon. Though opinion is split on Milroe as an NFL quarterback due to some shaky mechanics and accuracy issues, there is no denying his ability with the football in his hands, making him a dynamic weapon.
Where he fits in the NFL remains a major question though. For CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, that fit could be in Pittsburgh. In a piece highlighting the five best landings spots for Milroe in the 2025 NFL Draft, Podell placed the Steelers at No. 5.
“There’s no doubt the Pittsburgh Steelers will pursue a veteran quarterback in some capacity with head coach Mike Tomlin under fire for another playoff letdown and both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields set to hit free agency in March. Whether it’s Aaron Rodgers, bringing back Wilson or bringing back Fields, they’ll have a bridge QB,” Podell writes. “That could make the Steelers a decent place for Milroe to begin his NFL maturation, especially working with an offensive coordinator like Arthur Smith who loves the ground game.”
Milroe seems to be a divisive name at the quarterback position in what is a down quarterback class in the draft. Outside of Miami (Fla.)’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, there’ no surefire first-round quarterbacks. Ohio State’s Will Howard is very intriguing, as is Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, but neither are generating much franchise QB-caliber buzz.
Neither is Milroe, to be fair, but he has elite traits that teams tend to bet on at the position.
Milroe is listed at 6-2, 201 pounds and has a strong right arm and is a dynamic weapon with the football in his hands as a runner. He put up some impressive numbers in his career, throwing for 6,016 yards and 45 touchdowns across two full seasons as a starter. He completed 64.3% of his passes, too, but he threw 20 interceptions, including 11 in 2024.
