Cowherd: Steelers Are "Leaning Now" At Selecting Jalen Milroe In 1st Round

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a dilemma at the quarterback spot. Do they keep waiting and hope Aaron Rodgers finally signs with them? Do they hitch their wagon to Mason Rudolph? If they do neither, what does the 2025 NFL Draft have for them? Fans and pundits speculate that it might be worth it to use a first-round pick on a passer in a weak class (or even take one in a later round), and focus on the position again in the 2026 draft. There is no telling what the right answer is, but they could combine a couple of these ideas. 

Colin Cowherd announced on his show, The Herd With Colin Cowherd, that they could be looking at one particular prospect at pick 21, while also trying to sign Rodgers.

"I talked to an NFL exec last night, very well-connected, and this is a, 'Keep your head on a swivel, Aaron Rodgers,'" said Cowherd. "I'm told the Steelers really like Jalen Milroe: 21st pick, first round. So, if Aaron signs with Pittsburgh, it's going to become Kirk Cousins. If the 21st pick [comes] and Milroe's not taken, Pittsburgh is leaning now and taking him."

Jalen Milroe did sit down for dinner with the Steelers' brass, so it is not much of a surprise that they love him. The main question is would he be worth using a first-round pick on by passing on multiple high-end defensive tackle prospects? Some analysts even believe Pittsburgh can wait until the third round to select him. Their decision likely depends on how aggressive other teams are in the draft. If someone like Shedeur Sanders falls hard in the first-round, then the Steelers could be more compelled to wait and see what happens. Worst-case scenario, they could trade up into the second or early third round to get their guy. 

If there is a run on quarterbacks in the first round, the Steelers may be more inclined to take a reach and draft their guy, like the Denver Broncos did in 2024 with Bo Nix. Either way, it would not be surprising to see Milroe wearing black and gold. Then the only question is, when would Pittsburgh decide to make that move?

The very interesting thing is that the Steelers may look at Milroe as a first-round talent, but they still want Rodgers. It is already well-documented how the veteran quarterback does not like his replacement being drafted, so going that route could cause some issues. In 2024, the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to be their starting quarterback and paid him as such. However, they turned around and drafted his future replacement, Michael Penix Jr., in the first-round of that same offseason. The decision did work out in their favor, as Cousins had one of his worst years ever and got benched for the rookie. The Steelers could run into a very similar scenario.

Would The Steelers Really Repeat The Kirk Cousins Situation?

The Steelers are known for passing on top quarterback options to appease their veteran starter. While the concept of drafting a potential franchise signal-caller makes sense, would they really go down that road again? Rodgers has never played a snap for the team, so it's not like the front office owes him anything. That could be a reason why Rodgers wants to wait before signing. He likely might not want some young, hotshot rookie breathing down his neck at every turn. Even with the team's love for veteran players, a bad stretch of games could force their hand and send Rodgers to the bench to see what Milroe can do.

What do you think about the idea that the Steelers could try to pull off something similar the Falcons recently did and draft a first-round quarterback after signing a starter? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

#SteelerNation