The Pittsburgh Steelers have made it abundantly clear that Aaron Rodgers is their priority at the quarterback position this offseason. However, Rodgers is also making it clear that he’s willing to wait as long as possible for all opportunities to show themselves. Right now, the Steelers look like the only one. However, the market could shake itself up with the NFL Draft just two weeks away.
Speaking of the draft, the Steelers have been doing their due diligence. They’ve already met with Jaxson Dart, have spoken to Jalen Milroe, and have a meeting with Shedeur Sanders set for Thursday. Despite their interest in QB prospects, NFL insider Mike Garafolo doesn’t think Aaron Rodgers cares too much.
“This is not gonna change, I don’t think, unless he has something personal with one of these quarterbacks, what he [Aaron Rodgers] would think about joining the Steelers,” Garafolo said on The Insiders on Wednesday. “He’s made it clear. He’s willing to be the guy that can mentor a quarterback in the right situation… There’s a lot of knowledge up there. Somebody should tap into it. If it’s the Steelers with a rookie quarterback, if it’s Shedeur, or whoever, I think that’s a good recipe.”
Coming into the offseason, it didn’t look like the Steelers would have any chance at landing a worthwhile quarterback in the draft with the 21st overall selection. Both Sanders and Cam Ward looked like top-five picks. They each could still be drafted there, but Sanders has started to fall down the board on various mock drafts. It could all be a smoke-screen, but it’s starting to feel like there’s more of a chance that either him or Dart is available in the first round for Pittsburgh.
When the Packers drafted Jordan Love, Aaron Rodgers wasn’t happy at first. But that’s a different situation, and Rodgers shouldn’t be expected to have the same reaction now. Then, Rodgers was playing MVP-caliber football. Now, he’s 41 and facing a severe lack of options on the open market. It’s also worth noting that Rodgers accepted Love and helped mentor him into the talented quarterback he is today.
The bottom line is that the Steelers have to draft a quarterback at some point. Dart might feel like a reach at the 21st pick, but if Sanders is there, it becomes hard to turn that down. It’s a choice the Steelers might feel required to make. They wouldn’t have expected Sanders to fall that far at the beginning of the offseason.
It would make sense that Rodgers wouldn’t mind the Steelers showing interest in a younger QB. For one, he doesn’t have any other choices right now. Second, he’s not at the stage in his career to make such demands. And finally, even if the Steelers draft a QB with Rodgers on the roster, there’s no doubt that Rodgers would start the year.
Maybe it all works out for the Steelers. They could sign a talented QB in Rodgers for the 2025 season and pick up a younger QB, who’d have the chance to learn behind one of the best QBs the league has seen.
