The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still without a definitive starting quarterback for the upcoming season. Before the draft, it seemed that the Steelers were willing to wait for a decision from veteran Aaron Rodgers on where the quarterback wanted to sign. If Pittsburgh was confident before that Rodgers would sign with the Steelers, the team may be having doubts now, given how long Rodgers is taking to make up his mind. In the meantime, the Steelers signed veteran Mason Rudolph and drafted rookie Will Howard. Given that Pittsburgh didn't draft a quarterback earlier in the draft, they may still have faith that Rodgers wants to be a Steeler. Ben Roethlisberger addressed the Steelers' struggles to sign Rodgers and gave his take on how the organization should approach the matter.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger waves to fans as he walks off the Kansas City Chiefs' home turf.
On Tuesday, Roethlisberger spoke on his podcast Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, about the Steelers' recent quarterback woes. Roethlisberger said that he didn't know how drafting Howard would affect the Steelers' pursuit of Rodgers, but however confident the team was that Rodgers would sign with them, they needed to be stricter with the quarterback.
"I assume they would still take Aaron, obviously, I don't think because you drafted him (Howard), all of a sudden you say, 'We're done,'" said Roethlisberger. "At some point, they need to set a deadline because at some point, Aaron needs to be learning the offense and start getting with the guys. What is that cutoff date? I don't know, only Coach [Mike] Tomlin, Mr. [Art] Rooney [II], and Omar [Khan] know that."
It has seemingly become a bad look for the Steelers to be waiting for Rodgers for this long. Many consider Rodgers to be too far past his prime to be a real prospect for the team. Regardless, they see Rodgers as a promising candidate to lead Pittsburgh and a possible chance to break the playoff losing streak.
Roethlisberger's suggestion of giving Rodgers a deadline may be the only way to get the quarterback to act in a timely manner. The draft came and went and Organized Team Activities are approaching at the end of May.
Adam Hunger / ap photo
Former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers puts both his arms in the air to celebrate a big time touchdown at home during the 2024 NFL season.
The last time the public heard from Rodgers was the quarterback's appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Rodgers said that he didn't want to hold any team hostage, and that teams like Pittsburgh should do what they want without considering him. The Steelers are not at all committed to getting Rodgers, however, Pittsburgh's waiting to get a quarterback in the draft could be a sign that they believe Rodgers is likely to sign with them.
Rodgers cited personal reasons as the factor that was getting in the way of the quarterback making a decision. Whatever happens, no one will likely be able to predict when Rodgers will make his choice to continue playing or retire.
Steelers' Quarterback Room Is Not An Ideal Situation
Rudolph has led the Steelers in the past; however, he obviously isn't the team's first choice, as they let him leave as a free agent at the end of the 2023 season. If push comes to shove, Rudolph is at least a reliable fallback plan, as he already has experience with the Steelers' playstyle and offense.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph never really got his chance early on to prove what he could do in the Steel City.
Howard was always projected to go in the later rounds of the draft and is widely considered to be a backup-caliber quarterback. If he is tasked with leading the team, it could be a gamble. The final route would be for the Steelers to forgo Rodgers and find another veteran to lead the team while they give Howard time to develop.
Do you think the Steelers need to give Rodgers a deadline to make his decision? Do you think Rodgers wants to be a Pittsburgh Steeler? Let us know in the comments.
#SteelerNation
