Insider Reveals When Steelers Would Trade Up for QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers remain a real threat to pounce and take full advantage of Shedeur Sanders' potential slide in the NFL Draft.

Their hopes took a bit of a hit in that regard, though, once the news broke that Derek Carr's recent shoulder injury threatened his availability for the 2025 campaign, leaving the New Orleans Saints with Spencer Rattler as their presumed No. 1 option behind center for the time being.

For that reason, Sanders could head to the Big Easy if he's still available when the Saints are on the clock at No. 9. If they choose to pass on him, however, ESPN's Dan Graziano believes the Steelers are the team to watch for a possible trade-up from their spot at No. 21.

"Fact of the matter is, if the Saints like Shedeur Sanders enough to take him at nine, they might have been thinking that way anyway with Carr only under contract for one more year," Graziano said on "SportsCenter". "But it does lead an air of intrigue to this 10 days ahead of time. If Shedeur Sanders does not go at nine, if he's still available at 10 or in the teens, watch out for the Pittsburgh Steelers at 21 for the potential to move up. They had him in for a visit late last week. They're still waiting on an answer from Aaron Rodgers, to whom they've had an offer out for some time. But they know that Aaron Rodgers is not gonna be the long-term answer at quarterback, even if he does sign there."

As Graziano noted, Pittsburgh would still be without a true franchise signal caller if it were to sign Rodgers, who may ultimately stick around for just a single season with the team.

The Steelers' interest in Sanders ramped up upon his top-30 visit last week, and ESPN's Adam Schefter previously stated that he's the only quarterback the organization would consider taking in the first round.

The team has a handful of other needs they could address on Day 1, but the Colorado star may present too much value to pass up on.

Pittsburgh doesn't have a second-rounder this year, as it used its own when acquiring DK Metcalf, but that shouldn't get in the way of their pursuit of Sanders in a meaningful manner when it comes down to it.

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