The Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting for a decision from Aaron Rodgers on whether he’s going to sign with the team or sign elsewhere, but with the quarterback market drying up, a former Steelers rival has emerged as an option. Per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Flacco is “in play” for the Steelers at quarterback, as well as a potential reunion with the Cleveland Browns or a job with the Minnesota Vikings.
It’s not the first time Flacco has been linked to the Steelers this offseason, as Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline floated Flacco as a potential quarterback option for Pittsburgh back in January.
Florio believes that the Steelers could view Flacco as a cheaper option than Rodgers.
“Eventually, he’ll get an offer. Maybe more than one. And if the Steelers are looking to go cheaper than Rodgers at the position, Flacco could be their best move.”
At this point, it doesn’t seem likely that the Steelers pivot off their pursuit of Rodgers until he makes a decision. But if he signs elsewhere and Flacco is still out there, it wouldn’t be the most shocking thing if the Steelers threw their hat in the ring. There aren’t a lot of great options right now in free agency, and if the Steelers aren’t comfortable heading into the draft with just Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson at the position, a veteran like Flacco would make some sense.
I don’t think it would be a guarantee that he starts, but he’d be good competition for Rudolph and a potential rookie, as well as being a good mentor if the team drafts a quarterback. Last season with the Indianapolis Colts, Joe Flacco started six games and threw for 1,761 yards and 12 touchdowns with seven interceptions. That was on the heels of going 4-1 with the Browns and starting a playoff game in 2023.
He might be too turnover-prone for Pittsburgh’s liking, and while Flacco was never super mobile, at 40 years old, his mobility is more or less zapped. But the same can be said for Rodgers, and it clearly hasn’t been a deterrent in Pittsburgh’s pursuit of him.
In 2010, it would’ve been unfathomable to imagine Joe Flacco, Steelers QB. But 15 years later, and it presents itself as a very real possibility with the ever-churning quarterback carousel.
