The Pittsburgh Steelers were always going to enter a difficult situation at quarterback this offseason. Both of their in-house options hit the open market, and one is already gone. Now, they’re waiting on Aaron Rodgers. Although a resolution might be coming soon, there’s a real chance the Steelers head into the draft still needing a starting QB. With that in mind, a report surfaced Tuesday that Jalen Milroe had dinner with Steelers brass ahead of Alabama Pro Day on Wednesday.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise. If there’s any offseason for Pittsburgh to do its due diligence at QB, it’s this one. The Steelers seem interested in Milroe, but FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd doesn’t think he makes sense for them.
“I don’t think Pittsburgh’s a good fit,” Cowherd said Wednesday on The Herd. “If you go look at Russell Wilson’s last five games, including the playoffs, he was 0-5. I mean, six passing touchdowns and four giveaways. The offensive culture in Pittsburgh is broken. After the rah-rah stuff melts away by December and January, Pittsburgh’s bad at the end of years offensively, how many straight years?”
Using Russell Wilson’s performance to prove why Milroe wouldn’t work in Pittsburgh is an interesting take. Still, Cowherd’s not wrong about the offensive struggles as a whole. The Steelers have failed to develop any kind of talent at QB since Ben Roethlisberger retired. An argument can be made that the most they’ve developed a QB during that span was Justin Fields, who started the first six games of 2024. Even then, he was a limited quarterback.
Milroe is a fun player when he’s playing well. He’s blazing fast for a QB. He also has a great arm and can throw with velocity to all areas of the field. He’s got a good frame, and all the tools to have sky-high NFL potential. That said, there’s a reason he’s not considered a first-round talent. He certainly can succeed in the league but will need some time. Cowherd thinks the Steelers don’t have the infrastructure that Milroe needs.
“I just don’t think they’re a sophisticated offensive culture,” Cowherd said. “So I think Jalen Milroe, maybe like Bo Nix, needs the right fit to flourish early in his career.”
It’s fair to argue that the Steelers don’t develop quarterbacks well. Neither Mike Tomlin nor Arthur Smith have really proven otherwise just yet. However, Pittsburgh may not have another choice. If the Steelers head into the draft without a QB and Milroe is still available in the third round, it could be hard to say no.
