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It seems like everybody has an opinion on Aaron Rodgers, and whether he will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur weighed in on the matter. But the quarterback situation is the Steelers’ riskiest move in the 2025 NFL offseason.
OK, so the 2025 draft didn’t offer the kind of quarterback talent that turned the heads of the Steelers. They couldn’t get their paws on Cam Ward, and apparently didn’t like anybody else.
So the Steelers went with a defensive tackle, running back, edge rusher, and another defensive tackle. Then, in Round 6, the Steelers picked Will Howard out of Ohio State.
Steelers take big risk at QB position
First, let’s look at what Howard brings to the organization. Is he a future starter? He could be, but that’s part of the gamble the Steelers have taken.
However, there are positive takes, according to Pro Football Focus.
“Will Howard enters one of the more intriguing situations due to the uncertainty around Aaron Rodgers.” Dalton Wasserman wrote. “If Rodgers signs with Pittsburgh, Howard becomes a developmental third-stringer behind the future Hall of Famer and Mason Rudolph. If Rodgers chooses not to play, Howard likely slots in as the backup to Rudolph and could be one play away from game action.
“The positive? He’s no stranger to high-pressure spots after leading Ohio State to a national title and earning a career-high 85.7 passing grade last season.”
That’s the good side of things. But there are detractors, according to fantasypros.com.
“The Buckeyes’ offensive system featured a lot of first-read throws, often off of RPOs on concepts like glances, so his ability to work through progressions wasn’t highlighted as much as you’d like,” Matthew Jones wrote. “Howard tends to stare down targets, allowing defenders to read his eyes and undercut throws. Threw 20 interceptions over the past two seasons as a full-time starter. His base occasionally gets a bit narrow. Some of his throws are wobbly, causing them to sail on him; there’s some flutter to his shots down the seams.”
Also, Jones noted that Howard’s effectiveness dipped without a play-action element.
Another part of the risk is Aaron Rodgers
Banking on a loopy guy like Rodgers making up his mind isn’t the greatest comfort level for an NFL franchise.
However, there is the thought that Rodgers could move toward the team in the relatively near future. But it came from a person who recently wrote a biography on Rodgers. Yeah, I’m shaking my head, too.
Rodgers floated his aloof point of view on the annoying Pat McAfee Show via cbssports.com.
“I've been upfront with them,” Rodgers said. “I've said, listen, if you need to move on, by all means. I am trying to be open to everything and not specifically attached to anything. ‘I'm not holding anybody hostage.
“I've told every team it's not about the money. I’d play for 10 million dollars or even less. I'm open to anything and not attached to any outcome.”
It seems disingenuous for a multi-millionaire to say, “It’s not about the money.” Of course. When you have all the money you’ll ever need already, it’s not going to be about the money. Perhaps Rodgers wants to be seen as something his arrogance would swiftly deny.
But what do the Steelers’ players say? Cameron Heyward seemed to diss Rodgers a bit on his podcast, via nfl.com.
“(I’m) tired of talking about the quarterback situation,” Heyward said. “I'd rather have it done. I don't know what ends up happening. Ugh, I'm ready to move on from free agency.
“I ain't doing that darkness retreat. I don't need any of that crap. Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't. That's simple. That's the pitch. If you want me to recruit, that's the recruiting pitch. Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to be part of it, so be it. If you don't, no skin off my back.”
However, Heyward decided to backtrack later, according to Good Morning Football via nfl.com.
“Yes, it was misconstrued,” Heyward said. “From my point of view, I was asked the question of, ‘Would you go to the lengths of going to a darkness retreat to recruit Aaron Rodgers?' I said, ‘I'm not doing that.’ The pitch is: If you wanna be a Steeler, be a Steeler. It wasn't meant that I don't like Rodgers or I'm against it.
“I think when I look at our team right now, it would be really cool to have a guy like Aaron Rodgers, but I can't be the guy who gets it over the finish line. I think he's got to make those decisions for himself.
“But what I would say to him? I would just say, you know, if you come to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the goal is to win. You know, we haven't had the success we want, but the goal is still in mind to raise a Lombardi and bring that seventh one to Pittsburgh.”
Still, the Steelers have risked their 2025 season on the quarterback situation.
