The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves still waiting for a decision from 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers Monday marks the start of Phase 1 of the offseason and the players’ official first day back in the facility.
It doesn’t seem like the Steelers will be getting a decision from the four-time NFL MVP anytime soon, either.
That has many looking at the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh with real concern. That includes former NFL QB and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky.
“I would make the case that there’s no team organization in the NFL in a worse situation with the quarterback room than the Pittsburgh Steelers. And I’m saying that was all due respect to Mason Rudolph. Mason Rudolph has had a fantastic career. He’s one of the higher-end backups in the NFL,” Orlovsky said Monday on Unsportsmanlike, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “The two teams that come into mind that you go, ‘Man, that’s a really, really bad quarterback situation’ are Pittsburgh and Cleveland. But at least Cleveland has the second pick. Unlikely to take quarterback, but at least they have the second pick. Pittsburgh’s sitting there at 21. They have no clue what Aaron’s gonna do.
“It sounds like at least that Aaron doesn’t necessarily know what he’s going to do. You’re sitting there at 21 and a quarterback class that most people say is, is good, is fine…that a lot of people sit there and go, ‘Man, they need a quarterback.’ They should take a quarterback.”
As the Steelers wait for Rodgers to make a decision, they have just Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson as the only quarterbacks on their roster. The Steelers like to carry four quarterbacks in training camp, so they need to add two more.
One of those should come in the 2025 NFL Draft, but what round they pull the trigger on the position is up for debate.
For Orlovsky, it should be in the first round at No. 21, whether that’s Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, two guys he’s raved about throughout the pre-draft process.
“Like, if you’re Pittsburgh and think about it, think about it in relation to in your conference, every game that you match up against, you are at the negative at the quarterback spot,” Orlovsky added. “You go through the AFC East, every team’s got a better quarterback. You go through the AFC West, every team’s got a better quarterback. So it’s like you’re sitting there, if you’re the Steelers, going ‘Our quarterback room is at such a disadvantage on a week to week basis.’
“‘Every other part of our team’s gotta be better’ and it’s not.”
The Steelers are at a disadvantage at quarterback, there is no denying that. Rodgers’ addition might change that some, but not entirely. A first-round quarterback in this class won’t change that, either, but it could be a good step in the right direction.
Regardless of what path they take, the Steelers have to add a quarterback in the draft. They might even need to pivot from Rodgers, too, and explore the veteran trade market, because the quarterback situation is dire, even if the Steelers fully believe Rudolph could start and succeed in 2025.
