ESPN: Steelers Seen As Clear Landing Spot For Bengals' Joe Burrow After His Concerning Comments

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in a constant state of quarterback purgatory over the last several seasons since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. They've tried many methods when it comes to filling that position, including the route of bringing in a veteran, trading for a young player with raw talent, and going after a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft. None of those options have provided a clear answer for the Steelers as the organization is still searching for answers when it comes to the quarterback position, especially in the future.

Aaron Rodgers was the veteran quarterback the Steelers signed ahead of the 2025 season, and he has probably been the best quarterback Pittsburgh has had since Roethlisberger. It seems like he can still make all of the throws that are needed in the offense, and he has been a bit of a surprise when it comes to extending plays. However, it still leaves Pittsburgh with quarterback issues for the future as Rodgers is 42-years-old and can't play forever. Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst, Dan Orlovsky shared a solution for the Steelers on Unsportsmanlike, which is finding a way to land Cincinnati Bengals' star quarterback, Joe Burrow.

"It would shock me if he retired, yes," Orlovsky said of Burrow. "Obviously, there's a lot of similarities here to Andrew Luck. It would shock me if three teams weren't on the phone today after what [Burrow] said yesterday figuring out, 'How do we make him a part of our football team now, three months from now, six months from now, a year from now?' He obviously is in a bad place with that [Bengals] organization. It's not surprising. But I would be very surprised if he chose not to play football."

The comments from Burrow that Orlovsky was referencing occurred when the quarterback spoke to the media on Wednesday. His comments all seemed very reflective, almost as if he was nearing the end of his career. He shared he had things going on in his professional and personal life, and he was almost questioning why he is still playing football.

Orlovsky noted three teams that should be figuring out ways to acquire Burrow immediately. In reality, every team should be, as he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league aside from a handful of top signal-callers. The analyst was asked which teams should be brainstorming how to land Burrow, and he mentioned the Steelers.

"I have three in mind," Orlovsky said. "Jets, Raiders, Steelers. Those would be the three. If I were those three organizations, I'm in a brainstorm meeting now, we are figuring out a way to propose a way to get Joe Burrow."

The former quarterback went on to say that it would be nearly impossible for Pittsburgh, mainly because they are in the same division as the Bengals. Inter-division trades are rare, especially for a player that is a franchise quarterback. Pittsburgh also has less assets than a team like the New York Jets, who stock-piled first round picks at the 2025 trade deadline.

Steelers Can Make Strong Push For Joe Burrow

The reality of the situation is that the Bengals would likely never agree to trade a franchise quarterback within the division, but the Steelers can at least offer enough to make them think about it. Pittsburgh has all of its future first-round picks, as well as some additional third-rounders and compensatory picks. It would likely take a package of all of those as well as a defensive player to land Burrow, but the Jets could certainly outbid Pittsburgh. 

The Jets and Raiders would also be able to afford Burrow's contract, while the Steelers would need to move some money around. If Burrow isn't happy in Cincy however, would he be happy in New York or Vegas?

What do you think about the Steelers possibly pursuing Burrow? Let us know in the comments below!

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