The Pittsburgh Steelers' potential relationship with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been the talk of the 2025 offseason. That is because of the popularity of Pittsburgh's franchise and the fact that Rodgers is one of the more polarizing figures in all of sports. Some have said he has been holding the organization hostage by refusing to make a decision on his future in a timely manner, although Rodgers said himself that the organization did not give him any sort of deadline. It is likely that the two sides talked ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Pittsburgh might have a good idea of what to expect from the four-time league MVP.
Many fans in Pittsburgh are fed up with Rodgers and having to hear about the situation as a whole, but him joining the Steelers is a real possibility. He spoke to the public for the first time since being released by the New York Jets during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, and he explained that he is not trying to hold the organization up, but he is taking his time as he works through things in his personal life.
More details have come out about the relationship between the Steelers and Rodgers, as NFL reporter Josina Anderson released an interesting report on Thursday.
There was not a deadline for a decision from Rodgers earlier in the process, but as the draft got closer, it sounds like the organization felt like it needed an answer from the veteran. No details have emerged about what that answer may have been, but the fact that Pittsburgh passed on two of the top three quarterback in the 2025 class during the first round should be a little telling.
Instead of selecting either Jaxson Dart or Shedeur Sanders with the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers decided to address the defensive line and drafted Derrick Harmon out of Oregon. This was probably the right move by the organization as Pittsburgh's defense is aging and needs depth in that area, but the quarterback need also cannot be ignored.
The fact that Pittsburgh selected Harmon over the two quarterbacks is extremely telling about the answer the organization received from Rodgers. It should be safe to speculate that he will be wearing the black and gold during the 2025 season, especially with how confident General Manager Omar Khan sounded after passing up on the two young quarterbacks to pick Harmon instead.
Pittsburgh told Rodgers that it needed to have an idea of what he was planning to do 48 hours before the draft, and if the quarterback listened, the team has known who will be the team's quarterback in 2025 since Tuesday.
Steelers Can Still Select A Quarterback To Bring In Under Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers should not be viewed as anything other than a band aid at the quarterback position. He is 41-years old, and likely entering the final season of his NFL career. It is more than likely that he will not be back in 2026, which means the Steelers will strongly be considering drafting a quarterback on Day 2 or Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The organization has shown a ton of interest in Will Howard out of Ohio State, who should be available when the Steelers pick in the third round or fourth round. He will certainly be an option for the organization to consider, and there are others as well. This could be a good strategy from Pittsburgh, especially if the organization can find a diamond in the rough at some point in the draft.
