The Pittsburgh Steelers have proven over the past two decades that they can contend for championships with top-flight quarterbacks, but produce playoff teams with just about anyone under center.
Pittsburgh brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields off of the proverbial scrap heap this offseason and have turned the two of them into an 8-2 record and sole possession of the AFC North Division through 11 weeks.
And while the chemistry between both men and their teammates has proven good enough to win in 2024, it is highly unlikely that both will back next year. In fact, it's possible that neither will be.
Thus, the Steelers could be in the market for another veteran QB value play this coming offseason, and Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets profiles as a possible target.
Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports on Tuesday, Nov. 19, pegged Pittsburgh as the "most likely" landing spot for Rodgers should the Jets cut ties with the four-time NFL MVP following this season.
"This is the most likely option outside of the Jets. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are both free agents in 2025, so the Steelers will really need to look at their options. Maybe Wilson wants to stay, but he would certainly be much more expensive than he is now," Ferreira wrote. "Rodgers probably wanted more control, and that's why he went to the Jets after years with the [Green Bay] Packers. But it didn't work, so going to a franchise where he would be the quarterback, and nothing beyond that, with a respected head coach in Mike Tomlin would make sense."
The Steelers will no doubt search for a long-term answer under center beginning next offseason, as neither Wilson or Rodgers is it. Wilson turns 36 years old later this month, while Rodgers will hit 41 years of age in early December.
Fields, just 25, is of an age that he could have potentially been Pittsburgh's future at quarterback. But despite winning 66% of his starts this season, Fields couldn't even keep Wilson at bay, which doesn't bode well for his future with the franchise beyond 2024.
The Steelers are going to pick late in the first round of the coming NFL draft, which probably means the top handful of quarterback prospects will already be off the board. That does not mean Pittsburgh won't draft a QB in 2025. In fact, it profiles as one of the more likely franchises to do so.
However, it may mean that whichever player the team lands on could need a year to develop at the professional level. If Wilson is willing to come back at a reasonable price on a one- or two-year deal, that solves Pittsburgh's problems. If he isn't, an inexpensive veteran with a history of winning and looking for a home is a reasonable bet.
Jets owner Woody Johnson wanted his coaches to dump Rodgers for backup Tyrod Taylor after Week 4 based on Rodgers' play to that point in the season. He is under contract through 2025 but has a base salary of only $2.5 million next year.
That means the Steelers can go after Rodgers cheaply, whether New York releases the QB or Pittsburgh must pursue him via trade, and the Steelers would hold the leverage in either scenario.
