The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t draft a quarterback until the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah speculated during Saturday’s broadcast of the draft that the reason is likely because the team still has its eyes set on signing veteran Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers haven’t received any new indications from Rodgers that he will be coming to Pittsburgh. But on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings appeared to eliminate themselves as a possible suitor for Rodgers.
During the fifth round, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Vikings traded the No. 142 overall pick to the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Sam Howell and another 2025 fifth-round choice.
Howell, who was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, will enter his fourth year in the league this fall. Howell will immediately slot into the backup quarterback role behind former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota.
Vikings Add Backup QB With Sam Howell
One of the top ACC quarterbacks during his tenure with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Howell was once considered a signal-caller who could be an early draft pick. But in 2022, Howell fell to the middle of Day 3.
The Washington Commanders selected Howell at No. 144 overall in the fifth round.
Howell appeared in one game as a rookie during 2022. Then in 2023, Howell started all 17 games, leading the Commanders to a 4-13 record with 21 touchdowns and a league-leading 21 interceptions.
Washington traded Howell to the Seahawks early in 2024 NFL free agency.
Howell doesn’t have a lot of NFL experience but more than McCarthy, who is expected to start for the Vikings this fall. Howell has also played more than Brett Rypien, who was the only other quarterback on the Minnesota roster before Saturday.
What Vikings Howell Trade Means for Aaron Rodgers, Steelers
If McCarthy has better injury luck than his rookie season, Howell might not play at all during the 2025 season. But Minnesota acquiring him could still have ramifications around the league.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on March 19 that it “would be a surprise” if the Vikings signed Rodgers this offseason. However, Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn’t exactly rule out pursuing Rodgers when he specifically addressed the possibility about a week later.
“For me to sit here and say that anything’s 100 percent forever, that’s just not the job,” Adofo-Mensah told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “We’re responding to scenarios and different information as it comes. So obviously things can change, but right now we’re really happy with our [quarterback] room and we’re going to look to upgrade it in different ways.”
The only thing that was going to officially rule out a Vikings pursuit of Rodgers was the addition of another quarterback. That has now happened in Minnesota with the Howell trade.
NFL Network’s Rich Eisen asked Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during an interview on the Day 3 coverage of the draft if the fact the team hadn’t drafted a quarterback in the first five rounds meant they were confident Rodgers was going to eventually sign with the team.
Tomlin didn’t to give a long answer but said he would allow Eisen to make that connection because “he was going to anyway.”
The Steelers then drafted Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round of the draft.
Rodgers explained during an appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show on April 17 that a personal matter someone in his “inner inner circle” was dealing with has been his priority this offseason. The quarterback also said he’s been “up front” about that fact with the Steelers.
