Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan has been praised heavily since taking over the job in 2022, but the general manager has made some missteps. During the 2024 offseason he put all his eggs in one basket while in pursuit of star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and this forced Pittsburgh to miss out on other potential upgrades at the position. The executive finally got his receiver-upgrade by acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks during the 2025 offseason, but he is still trying to figure out what to do at quarterback.
All roster moves in Pittsburgh are not squarely on the shoulders on Khan. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Team President Art Rooney II probably have more say in certain decisions than the general manager, but the responsibility of building the roster falls on the shoulders of those three men. The wide receiver corp in Pittsburgh is now upgraded, but the organization still doesn't seem to have a plan at quarterback.
NFL pundit Mike Florio laid into the Steelers during a recent article, stating the organization should have had a clear plan at quarterback before making such a large investment at wide receiver. Florio suggests the franchise had plenty of options to get a deal done prior to free agency opening up, and a deal should have been in place.
"They could have finalized something with the quarterbacks who were still on the roster: Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.” Florio said. “They also could have finalized something with Aaron Rodgers, since he had permission from the Jets to talk to other teams."
Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields were scheduled to become free agents, and Pittsburgh had an interest in bringing back Fields as the starter. The young quarterback wanted to test the open market, and the New York Jets were able to get him to agree to a deal. The Steelers should have been able to get a deal done with one of these in-house options, or even Aaron Rodgers. Failing to do so almost makes the investment in Metcalf seem irresponsible.
Florio brought up the Seahawks, who made a lot of pivotal moves ahead of free agency. Aside from dealing Metcalf, the organization also traded away quarterback Geno Smith. Florio insinuates Seattle knew it would land Sam Darnold in free agency, and affirmed that tampering in the NFL is a myth. Very few teams get caught doing it, and tons of teams partake in it during the week leading up to free agency. Pittsburgh should have done something like this, and Florio claims the organization is just winging it at quarterback.
"The quarterback position is far too important to just wing it.” Florio said “Especially when the Steelers have done something they’ve never done before by paying close to top-of-market value to a player who has not previously played for the team. And it’s clear that the Steelers are winging it. They’re currently waiting for Rodgers. If he goes to the Giants or Vikings, then what?”
With Fields being in New York, Pittsburgh's top option at quarterback is Rodgers. The veteran quarterback is currently deciding between Pittsburgh, the New York Giants, and the Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers are the favorites to land the quarterback, but there is still a chance he lands elsewhere. This would leave Pittsburgh with little-to-no options at quarterback. Wilson seems to be out of the picture, and the organization is not in an ideal position to draft a quarterback in 2025.
Steelers Brought Back A Familiar Face As A Backup Option
While the Steelers wait to see who the team's starting quarterback will be in 2025, the organization decided to bring back quarterback Mason Rudolph after spending one year with the Tennessee Titans. Rudolph saved the Steelers season in 2023, and he led the team to three consecutive victories to end the regular season, which helped clinch a playoff birth.
George Pickens had his best stretch of games as a professional while Rudolph was under center, which should make fans semi-optimistic about the production from the receiver position. Whether it is Rodgers, Rudolph, or another option - Pittsburgh has the weapons on offense to see an uptick in production from 2024.
