Aaron Rodgers Reportedly Won't Factor Into Steelers' Plans to Draft Quarterback

As the Rodgers sweepstakes continues, Pittsburgh still plans to draft a quarterback, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said.
Rodgers has been linked to the Steelers throughout NFL free agency
Rodgers has been linked to the Steelers throughout NFL free agency / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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The Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes has yet to conclude, but there appears to be only two options at this juncture: the New York Giants or the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Minnesota Vikings reportedly bowed out of the race earlier this week and every other team in the NFL is either set at QB or has a different plan in mind for the 2025 season. If Rodgers is, indeed, interested in continuing his NFL career it doesn't seem as though there will be many choices beyond the two in hand right now.

On the Steelers' side of things, they reportedly are not letting Rodgers's decision affect their long-term plans at the quarterback position one way or another. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler spoke on the situation during Friday's Get Up, saying Pittsburgh wants to draft a quarterback early in the draft either this year or next.

"This is why teams that have a quarterback who's in the top half of the league pay them $50, $60 million, whatever they want, because life in the middle is rough," Fowler said. "The Pittsburgh Steelers have experienced that since Ben Roethlisberger left. They can't find a solution, but my sense is they will go heavy on the draft, they will draft a quarterback high, if not this year, then next year, because Aaron Rodgers clearly is a one-year bridge."

It's a logical stance. The Steelers have shuffled through seven starting QBs since Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. Mike Tomlin has managed to keep the team in the postseason regardless but the black and yellow have not been considered true championship contenders in a long time— in part because of the constant uncertainty at QB.

Rodgers did visit with the team on Friday, indicating a decision might be close.

It sounds like the front office wants to find a long-term solution, though, no matter what Rodgers does.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.