This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had an issue acquiring a starting quarterback. In free agency, they added Mason Rudolph, but he seems more suited to be a backup. Aaron Rodgers is still an option, but it’s unclear when, or if, he’ll return to football. Therefore, the Steelers could find their starting quarterback in the draft. However, former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh doesn’t think any rookie signal caller will transform Pittsburgh.
“There’s not a rookie that’s coming into this league that’s going to make their team instantly better,” Houshmandzadeh said Thursday on FS1’s The Facility. “It’s too hard. You go to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the defense is going to be exactly what you need.
“But there’s ebbs and flows. There’s going to be so many peaks and valleys as a rookie, especially at quarterback, that the word instantly, I believe it’s virtually impossible for a rookie to make his team instantly better.”
Houshmandzadeh makes an interesting point, especially when considering the 2025 quarterback class. It doesn’t look like a strong group. Most of the top prospects might be better off sitting and learning to start their NFL careers.
However, rookie quarterbacks have come in and instantly made their teams better before. Last year, Jayden Daniels did that for the Washington Commanders. They went from bottom feeders to the NFC Championship Game. C.J. Stroud did similar things for the Houston Texans in 2023.
While those are examples that disprove Houshmandzadeh’s point, he might be more correct when considering where the Steelers are at in the draft. Players like Stroud and Daniels were found near the very top of the draft. The Steelers do not have the luxury of picking there. Instead, they currently have pick 21. It’s much harder to find an immediate impact starter at quarterback there.
That’s because quality quarterbacks usually come at a premium in the draft. It isn’t often that they slip out of the top 20. It’s not impossible, but usually, those players aren’t Week 1 starters who raise a team’s floor and ceiling. Lamar Jackson sat behind Joe Flacco for much of his rookie season. Jalen Hurts only started four games during his rookie season.
The Steelers might find it difficult to draft a quarterback who significantly raises their floor for the 2025 season. However, they might not have many better options. Outside of Rodgers, the remaining free agent quarterbacks aren’t very appealing. Could a rookie be better than Rudolph? That’s possible.
Also, the Steelers might want to take a quarterback in Round 1 so that they aren’t in this situation again next year. Sometimes, making a move for the future isn’t wrong. It’s unlikely that the Steelers will be compete for a Super Bowl this year. However, a young quarterback could make them a contender next year.
