Steelers May Have Passed On Better QB Options For Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rodgers were a clear match from the moment Mike McCarthy was hired as the team's head coach back in January.

The saga dragged on for longer than the Steelers expected, but there wasn't ever much doubt that the 42-year-old would ultimately return for a second campaign with the team.

Given its tunnel vision towards Rodgers, however, ESPN's Ben Solak believes Pittsburgh may have passed on better options behind center, including Kyler Murray.

"While free agency is never rich with elite passers, there were better options for the Steelers than this. Kyler Murray would have been an outright better and far cheaper player -- he signed with the Vikings for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million dollars," Solak wrote. "The likelihood Murray gets hot for a playoff run is quite small but not nonexistent. With, it practically is."

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) scrambles during the first half of an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Did Steelers Make a Mistake Bringing Back Rodgers?

Of the quarterbacks who hit free agency this offseason, Murray was always the most logical target for the Steelers.

One of the bigger concerns with the former No. 1 overall pick was his injury history. Murray appeared in a combined 19 games between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns after tearing his ACL late in the first of those two years, and he later sustained a foot injury during Week 5 of the 2025 season that kept him out from that point forward.

Murray is one of the more mobile signal callers across the NFL, though, and the upside is still there at 28-years-old for the two-time Pro Bowler.

Pittsburgh never made a real run at him, and he instead signed for the veteran minimum with the Minnesota Vikings, as Solak mentioned.

The cost isn't necessarily the main point worth arguing when comparing Murray to Rodgers for Pittsburgh. While the latter's deal is worth up to $25 million, which is significantly more than the former will make, it's still a relative bargain for a suitable starting quarterback.

Rodgers did an admirable job in 2025, as he helped lead the Steelers to their first division title since 2020 while throwing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The upside isn't there anymore, though.

That's not to say Murray is guaranteed to return to form, but he would've been a far more intriguing swing at the most important position on the field than Rodgers is.

Beyond Murray, there weren't a ton of alternatives to Rodgers that would have given Pittsburgh a better opportunity to fall within the same range as it has over the last handful of years, which is a 9-8 or 10-7 team that sneaks into the playoffs.

The process of re-signing Rodgers was tiring, and it's fair to question the Steelers' long-term plans, but if the focus is strictly on competing for a postseason berth, than welcoming him back after not pursuing a player like Murray makes sense strictly from that perspective.

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