For the last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback search for 2025 has centered on their pursuit of Aaron Rodgers. While numerous free agent quarterbacks have come off the board over the last week, Rodgers has taken his time to make a decision that seems to be between the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and potentially the Minnesota Vikings.
If Rodgers decides to sign with New York or Minnesota, the Steelers quarterback room would be Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, and while drafting a quarterback is a possibility, if not likely, if the team wanted to foray into free agency to sign another quarterback, their options would be limited.
Russell Wilson
Not much needs to be said about a potential reunion with Wilson. He’s a known commodity for the Steelers at this point, and he would probably have a little bit more success in 2025 than 2024 with his former teammate DK Metcalf on the outside across from George Pickens.
However, a rift with Arthur Smith would need to be resolved, and the Steelers were abysmal on offense at the end of the season, and a lot of that was due to Wilson reverting to bad habits like holding onto the football too long. But he’s Pittsburgh’s best option outside of Rodgers, and if the team wants him as a Plan B, they have to hope that he doesn’t take a deal with the Cleveland Browns, who he met with last week.
Jameis Winston
Winston’s been mentioned as a potential option by some in the national media, but I don’t see it being a fit for the Steelers. While he started seven games for the Browns last season, including a Week 12 win over the Steelers, he’s too turnover-prone to be a fit in Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ gameplan relies on winning the turnover battle, and Winston’s penchant for throwing to the other team just wouldn’t work.
I think the Steelers are much more likely to start Mason Rudolph than to go the Winston route, but he’s one of the more experienced quarterbacks remaining, which goes to show how dire this quarterback market is right now behind Rodgers and Wilson.
Joe Flacco
Flacco is reportedly “in play” as an option for the Steelers, and he would make some sense as a veteran and a potential mentor to a rookie. He would likely compete with Rudolph for a starting job, and while turnover-prone, he’s not on the same level as Winston. He’s not the most exciting option, but he’s started 11 regular season games over the past two seasons and also started for the Browns in the playoffs in 2023, after leading them to a 4-1 record to help get them in.
It would be weird to see Flacco in a Steelers uniform, but of the remaining options, he’s one that might make the most sense.
Tyler Huntley
Huntley knows the AFC North, having spent time with both the Browns and the Ravens. Huntley has 14 starts under his belt, including five with the Miami Dolphins last season, and he provides mobility, something that none of these other options have to offer. Huntley’s ran for 644 yards and five touchdowns in his career, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Like Flacco, he would probably come in as camp competition for Rudolph, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Rudolph came in ahead of him on the depth chart.
But he’s an experienced backup who started nine games for the Ravens. He bounced around the league a little bit last year, going from the Browns to the Ravens to the Dolphins, but he played well enough during his stint with Miami, and in a dry quarterback market, he’s at least somewhat intriguing.
Cooper Rush
UPDATE: Since this writing, Rush has agreed to a deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
Rush is actually one of my favorite options left. He’s 9-5 in his career as a starter, including 4-4 in eight starts for the Cowboys last season. He threw for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions, and he could come in and be a solid veteran to compete with Rudolph or serve as depth.
He’s spent his whole career up to this point with the Cowboys, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he circled back to Dallas. But if Rush is looking for a change of scenery, the Steelers could very well have interest. It’s hard to win in the league, and while it hasn’t always been pretty, Rush has done a pretty good job of winning games when he’s been tasked to start in place of an injured Dak Prescott. He’s one of the better names in a bad market.
There are other names to consider, including Drew Lock, Trey Lance, Taylor Heinicke, Easton Stick and Case Keenum, but the long and short of it is there just aren’t any real intriguing options beyond Rodgers. The Steelers know what Wilson is, and while a reunion with him is their best bet, it’s still not going to spur any Super Bowl excitement.
If Rodgers passes on Pittsburgh, Mason Rudolph starting is far from a bad option given the names available. And I don’t think that’s the situation the Steelers wanted to be in when the legal tampering period started six days ago.
