Over the last month or so, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been in a holding pattern at the quarterback position as they await a decision from 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers.
But now, entering the week of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers — according to former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum — need to be urgent at the position. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up Tuesday morning, Tannenbaum stated that the Steelers must trade up in the first round of the draft to land a quarterback, especially after Rodgers went on The Pat McAfee Show last week and seemingly hinted at retirement.
Rodgers stated he was in no rush to make a decision and had a lot going on off the field that had his attention, which led to another endless cycle of conversation regarding what the Steelers should do at quarterback.
For Tannenbaum, the path forward is clear
“The other day Aaron Rodgers goes on Pat McAfee, and understandably so, deservedly so, he basically told us he was retired and here’s why: when you have an NFL starting quarterback, you need somebody who’s prepared to withstand the rigors of a 17-game regular season,” Tannenbaum said of Rodgers and the Steelers needing to trade up for a quarterback, according to video via ESPN. “Something he did with the Jets two years ago offseason program. The Steelers started their program. He is not there. He’s gonna be 42 in December.
“If he was our starting quarterback, he should be all in. Coach Mike Tomlin, what did he say? I want volunteers not hostages. We have to move on. We have to go get a quarterback Thursday night.”
The Steelers are in a bad spot at the quarterback position. Only Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson are on the roster, and the Steelers like to carry four quarterbacks in training camp, so they have some work to do.
Some of that work can be completed in the draft, whether that’s sitting tight and landing someone like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart at No. 21, or it could come in the form of mid-round picks like Syracuse’s Kyle McCord or Texas’ Quinn Ewers on Day 3.
If they go that route, they’ll still find themselves waiting on Rodgers. That’s why Tannenbaum wants the Steelers to swing big and send a message by moving up and landing their quarterback of the future in the first round, presumably Sanders, and moving on from Rodgers.
The chances of that seem slim, especially with the Steelers reportedly eyeing moving down in the first round in an effort to recoup some draft capital after losing a second-round pick in the DK Metcalf trade. That could all change though if a slide occurs with Sanders or Dart, though.
