The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in quarterback purgatory, and the same questions are being asked around the same time in the offseason for a fourth year in a row. What makes it worse is that this could be the second straight season where the fans go through a stretch of multiple months wondering if Aaron Rodgers will play football again or retire. If he ends up leaving, there is a large batch of underwhelming free agent quarterbacks that Pittsburgh can pick from in hopes that one of them has a Sam Darnold-type arc.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers may just pass on taking a quarterback in free agency no matter what, however. In his article on X, insider Mark Kaboly explained why that would likely be the case.
"Whatever [Rodgers'] decision might be, [free agency] won’t be much altered by whether he comes back or retires," Kaboly said. "The plan, I do believe, is not to do anything in free agency at the position because, well, there’s nothing out there that’s better than what they already have with Mason Rudolph and an intriguing Will Howard. If you are screaming Kyler Murray, then you just like to hear the sound of your own voice and like to argue."
Some of that is debatable, but not many people would argue that there really isn't much in free agency that could raise a team's ceiling. Malik Willis is arguably the top option on the open market, and he has just six career starts to his name. That shows just how rough the market is, even with all of the big names that are entering free agency now due to being released. It may not be worth hitching a wagon to these guys.
Kamil Krzaczynski / Associated Press
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis looks to find a receiver downfield as he scrambles with the football during a professional football game at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.
Many fans are screaming that Will Howard should just get a chance, as opposed to signing a bridge quarterback anyways. Everyone in the organization seems to love his talent and upside, as well as Rodgers. In a year full of underwhelming quarterbacks, it may make sense to see if he can be a quality starter at the NFL level. Even if he plays poorly. Pittsburgh would be set up well to draft a new face of the franchise in 2027.
Mason Rudolph has shown flashes in the past, especially during his three regular season starts in 2023. He is way more mature than he was in 2019, so he could do well with first-team reps all season long, especially under a new coaching regime. The argument here would be that he can't be that much worse than a veteran option like Tua Tagovailoa, so what would be the point of switching gears from him?
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On the flip side, the argument to get one of these veterans would be money. Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins, and Kyler Murray are all being released while still being owed guaranteed money. That means they could do what they did with Russell Wilson and sign either of these starters for the veteran minimum. That may or may not be the case with Cousins, as he only has $10 million guaranteed, but it could work for the others.
Caean Couto / Atlanta Falcons
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) during a regular season matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets.
If the Steelers are banking on Murray or Tagovailoa having a Darnold-like revival, it's better to have that on the veteran minimum, so they can load up on the rest of the team. They could also still bench either quarterback for Rudolph or Howard if things go south, as the insanely low contract would not incentivize Pittsburgh to give either passer a long leash. That would only happen if Rodgers does not return though.
What do you think about the Steelers likely not signing a veteran free agent to start? Would you want them to sign any of them? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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