Steelers’ Quarterback Conundrum: Rodgers or Rebuild?

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ pursuit of a seventh Super Bowl title, dubbed "Stairway to Seven," remains a distant aspiration, sixteen years and counting since their last championship appearance. Simultaneously, Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback who ironically denied them that seventh Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl 45 with his Green Bay Packers, seeks his own elusive second ring – a "Step Stool to Two," perhaps?

The potential union of the Steelers, a historically dominant franchise, and Rodgers, a quarterback debated among the top five to ever play, presents a complex question: can this partnership propel both toward their respective goals, or is it a recipe for further disappointment?

The proposition of a 41-year-old Rodgers, fresh off a season derailed by injury and perceived to be his worst, joining a Steelers team grappling with quarterback mediocrity raises serious doubts. Is this a match made in heaven, or a cautionary tale waiting to unfold?

Two months into Rodgers’ free agency and the Steelers’ roster adjustments for 2025, uncertainty prevails, fueling endless speculation.

Marc Ross, former vice president of player personnel for the New York Giants, expressed his bewilderment. "Old guys, they don’t get better. They get worse. And all the headaches (Rodgers) brings?" he questioned. "Now Pittsburgh, you’re just signing him for his name. You’re not even signing him for anything else. He gives you no chance to win, he gives you no chance to compete against the good teams. And he’s gonna be a pain in the ass – you’re dealing with drama right now with the guy, and he’s not even on your team."

Ross concluded, "It just baffles me. It really absolutely baffles me."

Reports suggest the Steelers have patiently awaited Rodgers, with a contract agreement potentially in place. Rodgers himself admitted to conversations with the Steelers, Giants, and Vikings, but retirement remains a consideration as he navigates personal matters.

His hesitancy to commit to Pittsburgh, coupled with the likelihood of only playing one or two more seasons, raises concerns. Unlike his brief tenure with the Jets, Rodgers lacks familiarity with the Steelers’ offense, players, and coaches, yet he hasn’t actively engaged with the team during offseason activities.

Perhaps a more suitable opportunity will emerge for Rodgers if a contender faces an unforeseen quarterback crisis.

The Steelers’ quarterback struggles are well-documented. Last summer, the author advocated for prioritizing Justin Fields’ development over Russell Wilson. The Steelers eventually pursued re-signing Fields in March, but he ultimately joined the Jets after a dismal end to the 2024 season under Wilson’s leadership.

Why repeat the same cycle?

Since 2017, the Steelers have hovered around mediocrity, averaging ten wins per season but without a single playoff victory. This period coincides with Ben Roethlisberger’s decline and the team’s inability to find a capable successor. Mason Rudolph, with limited starting experience, is currently the only quarterback on the roster with any significant NFL playtime.

Louis Riddick, a former NFL personnel executive and ESPN analyst, acknowledged the Steelers’ predicament. "It is a weird spot that they find themselves in. I think they obviously recognize, too, that they’re kinda like stuck between a rock and a hard place – otherwise known as purgatory in the NFL," he said.

Riddick emphasized the consequences of quarterback instability. "This is why when you miss at that position, it can screw up everything – it has such a huge trickle-down effect. … Where do you go from here? It’s really hard for them. Do they really want to go through a year with just Mason? Do you really think that (sixth-rounder) Will Howard is gonna become the find of the ’25 draft?"

"It all starts from just not being able to find Ben’s successor. This is just an absolute, classic case of why it’s so important to have some stability and some success at quarterback – because when you don’t get it, you’re just ice skating uphill trying to get everything else to go right."

What could possibly go wrong with Rodgers, whose Achilles injury abruptly ended his Jets career after just four plays? The Jets’ subsequent dysfunction led to the firing of coaches and their general manager. While Rodgers may have shown flashes of brilliance at the end of 2024, can he truly elevate the Steelers beyond what Rudolph, Wilson, Fields, and Kenny Pickett could offer?

"He doesn’t make them better than what the Justin Fields-Russell Wilson combination gave them last year," Ross argued. "And for what he’s gonna bring as far as the distractions?"

Riddick added, "I really do think the grand plan all along was for them to have this Aaron Rodgers thing sewn up long ago. … Now it’s just kinda like, ‘What the hell are they trying to do? What is the plan?’"

"It takes away from the team-building aspect in a very significant way. … His not signing is screwing up everything they’re trying to get done."

The article proposes the Steelers should move on from Rodgers and resist trading for Kirk Cousins. Their recent offseason moves, including trading for DK Metcalf and then trading George Pickens after the draft, have been questionable.

The Steelers also passed on drafting Shedeur Sanders, who may have a better chance of becoming a long-term starter than Will Howard. Furthermore, they must address T.J. Watt’s contract.

Even with Watt’s extension and Rodgers’ arrival, the team is projected to win around nine or ten games, finish behind the Ravens in the AFC North, and potentially make the playoffs without making a deep run. Repeating the mistake of acquiring a past-his-prime quarterback like Wilson could lead to another mid-round draft pick and another quarterback bust.

While tanking isn’t a viable option in the NFL, being merely decent hasn’t satisfied the fans or advanced the Steelers’ Super Bowl aspirations. The article suggests considering Rudolph as the starter or even trading Watt for future draft capital.

Ryan Clark suggested, "If you’re gonna suck, suck all the way. Let’s go get Arch, or let’s go get Nussmeier." Ross believed that Rodgers and Pickens would be a disaster.

Riddick doubts the Rooney family would allow a "throwaway year."

"That doesn’t even feel like the Steeler Way, for them to ever feel like there’s a throwaway year. I just don’t believe that," he said. "I can’t imagine ownership in Pittsburgh giving that directive. … For (Tomlin), too, being there as long as he’s been there and as proud of a dude as he is and the kind of résumé that he’s built? I think he would have a hard time stomaching that, too."

But as the saying goes, doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

"It’s sad that the Steelers are at this point. They’ve botched this for a while – they just have not been able to get it right since the end of Ben’s time, and they held on to him too long," Ross stated. "They’ve been terrible at quarterback evaluation since they drafted Big Ben (in 2004). … At one point, the Steelers were the standard. But that’s just not there anymore. They’ve gotta evolve, and they just have not."

"For as great as Mike Tomlin does for making the most out of nothing, at some point you’ve got to get something. … They used to never miss in the draft, they just miss a lot now – more than they hit. It’s just something that’s kinda passed them by, and they need to adapt and adjust and move forward."

The article concludes that it’s difficult to see how Rodgers helps the Steelers achieve that evolution.