The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t seem to find a franchise quarterback and have been rotating starters since the loss of Ben Roethlisberger. With the QB being the center of a team, Steelers fans are once again wondering: What should the team do next?
The favored option among fans seems to be to milk one more season out of Aaron Rodgers, and overall, this strategy makes sense.
Despite his age, Rodgers played fairly well this season. He was ranked 16th by the NFL, with 3,322 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes. He threw seven interceptions, which was one less than the top-ranking quarterback, Drake Maye of the Patriots.
Also, new Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy has a history with Rodgers and has publicly stated he wants Rodgers back. He said he believes that would make the Steelers immediate competitors.
Playing for his former Green Bay coach may well spark some fire in the 42-year-old Rodgers.
The team showed some hope this year, but followed the usual pattern of losing in the first round of the playoffs. The team’s new coach and any other changes will give fans something to look forward to, but these will most likely not change the narrative for the team.
Rodgers is not a long-term option for the team, and everyone knows that. So another route could be to look for a more stable option and build around that player.
Mason Rudolph has been the team’s main backup quarterback since the Roethlisberger days and is still a reliable option for the team. It may be appetizing to start Rudolph, tank during the season, and get a new quarterback through the draft to build around.
The less likely option would be to realize the Steelers have already done this and choose to start 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, building around him. But it is not ideal to build around a late draft pick and throw him straight into the starting position, since he has not yet proven he is ready for that.
The best option overall proves to be a combination of the possibilities: bring Rodgers back, have him focus on mentoring Howard as a failsafe, and look for a new quarterback in the upcoming draft.
