With the Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision makers talking this week, it seems like they feel confident they’ll land Aaron Rodgers. His recent throwing session with DK Metcalf supports that. However, no deal is done yet. That means anything can happen. Rodgers could still decide to retire. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel doesn’t think it would be the worst thing in the world if the Steelers don’t land Rodgers.
“I think this is gonna end up being a blessing in disguise for the Steelers if Aaron Rodgers does not sign with the Steelers,” Daniel said Tuesday on FS1’s The Facility. “You have to almost be forced into a complete reset at the quarterback position.
“You can’t keep putting Band-Aids on these things. Look what they did last year with Russell [Wilson] and Justin [Fields]. They had two Band-Aids and none of them fit because they didn’t get it back next year. They fell off. Now, Aaron Rodgers, Band-Aid, he’s not gonna play more than one year. Go in, find a guy at 21.”
Daniel is correct that the Steelers shouldn’t continue to patch up their quarterback position every offseason. Mike Tomlin didn’t seem keen on doing this again next year. At 41 years old, it’s totally possible that Rodgers only plays one more NFL season. He’s not a long-term answer for the Steelers.
However, he might be their best option this offseason. Daniel is right that the Steelers need to turn to the draft to find their next franchise quarterback. That doesn’t mean they need to do that in this year’s draft.
The 2025 quarterback draft class does not look like a strong group. Even the top guys seem flawed. If the Steelers select a quarterback with the 21st overall pick, it’ll probably be a reach. The last time they did that was in 2022, and they ended up with Kenny Pickett. Many fans probably don’t want to experience that again. The Steelers are probably better off waiting to take a shot on a quarterback in the 2026 draft.
Rodgers at least gives them a chance to try to compete this year. He isn’t an MVP-caliber player anymore, but he’s still a solid starter. The Steelers’ roster has other talented pieces. They probably won’t win a Super Bowl in 2025, but they’d have a good shot at winning a playoff game if things go right. They have to actually sign him first, though.
