The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers. Nothing they did in the draft takes them out of the running for Rodgers. If anything, they feel more locked onto Rodgers now than ever. And ESPN analyst Kevin Clark thinks that the Steelers are in trouble if the four-time NFL MVP doesn’t sign with them.
“He has to,” Clark said Monday on The Dan Patrick Show. “Art Rooney, the owner, a couple of weeks ago in Palm Beach at the owners meeting, said that that’s the expectation there. I don’t think Steelers ownership really talks out of turn.
“So, I assume that there’s indications that he’s coming. They’re screwed without him. Because last week I heard some of the insiders say, ‘Well, they’re really comfortable with Mason Rudolph.’ Nobody is comfortable with Mason Rudolph. I knew that that was a tell that Aaron Rodgers is probably coming.”
Insiders aren’t the only ones saying the Steelers are comfortable with Rudolph starting. Mike Tomlin has said that himself. While the Steelers are comfortable with Rudolph because they’re familiar with him, there’s a reason why they’re pursuing Rodgers.
With Rudolph starting for the entire season, the Steelers could make the playoffs, but it’s tough envisioning them winning a postseason game. Although Pittsburgh made the playoffs the last time Rudolph was its starter, that was a small sample size. Throughout his career, Rudolph has looked more like a capable backup than a quality starter.
If the Steelers’ quarterback position remains as is, they’ll likely find themselves winning more in spite of their quarterback position than because of it in 2025. They’ve been down that road several times before over the last few years. That’s part of the reason they haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
Rodgers might not be the same player he once was, but he looked a little more like his old self toward the end of the 2024 season. The Steelers have some solid pieces on offense, too. If they sign him, they could field their best team in years.
There’s no telling when Rodgers will make his decision, though, leaving the Steelers are in a precarious position. If they miss out on Rodgers, then they could pivot to Kirk Cousins. However, trading for him might be complicated. Taking on Cousins’ contract would not be ideal, and the Steelers would have to part with draft capital to acquire him.
