The Pittsburgh Steelers are no where near done completing their roster for the 2025 season, especially since the most important position is still up in the air. The organization is still in pursuit of a starting quarterback for the upcoming season, as the only signal-callers under contract for the 2025 campaign are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Rudolph has some starting experience, but it would be a disappointment if Pittsburgh was counting on him to be the go-to guy for a full 17-game season.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mason Rudolph runs for a first down as he attempts to keep his team in the game vs. the Buffalo Bills in 2023.
The Steelers are making headlines nearly every day due to the team's pursuit of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The two sides reportedly have a deal in place, but the 41-year-old is still making a decision on his future. Pittsburgh is the only realistic spot where he will have a starting job for the 2025 season, but the quarterback has also been reported to be weighing retirement. There is no timetable for when he might make his decision which keeps the Steelers in some sort of quarterback-limbo.
Despite the constant pursuit of Rodgers, Head Coach Mike Tomlin is not sold on adding a veteran to the quarterback room. This is something he shared with local reporters during the NFL's Owners Meetings on Sunday.
“I don’t know if we necessarily feel that way,” Tomlin said about adding another veteran QB to the room even if Rodgers signs
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) March 30, 2025
Rodgers certainly falls under the veteran label, which makes this comment from Tomlin especially interesting. Rudolph is a veteran as well, but he does not have the starting experience that team's look for in a veteran quarterback. He has been a plug-and-play player ever since being drafted by Pittsburgh in 2018, and he has never been considered a full-blown starting quarterback.
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Former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers stands on the sideline with a headset on as an inactive player during a professional football game in 2023.
It is hard to imagine what other veteran options Pittsburgh could add if Rodgers decides to go elsewhere or retire. Carson Wentz is available, but he does not seem like a player who would be a legitimate option in Pittsburgh. There has also been rumored interest in Joe Flacco, but that is not an option that moves the needle either.
Pittsburgh has done its due diligence in scouting and getting to know the quarterback prospects entering the 2025 NFL Draft. The organization selecting a quarterback in the event is certainly an option that is in play, but it is hard to determine whether that would be in the first round or later in the draft.
A prospect like Jaxson Dart may be around when the Steelers are drafting with the 21st overall pick, or the franchise could opt to attempt to find value in a prospect on Day 2 or Day 3. Either way, the organization is not set on adding a veteran to the quarterback room, which makes drafting a player at the position all the more likely.
Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images
Will Howard celebrates during the National Championship against Notre Dame.
Steelers Have Attended Several Quarterback's Pro Days
The Steelers certainly seem like a team that is interested in drafting a quarterback in 2025. The team's brass met with Will Howard ahead of Ohio State's Pro Day, while the organization also set representatives to Ole Miss' Pro Day to see Dart. Tomlin himself has been at several quarterback's Pro Days, making the position a reality in late April.
Tomlin said the Steeler are also looking at QBs in the draft: "Omar and I just got off on a nice tour here last week, where we were at ND, Ohio State and Texas, for example, our last three trips. I think all three of those institutions have quarterbacks that are draft eligible."
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) March 30, 2025
At this point it either seems like the Steelers will be signing Rodgers or adding a rookie via the draft, while doing both is also a possibility. Thompson has not been a reliable quarterback at any stage of his professional career, so it is likely the organization wants to fill out the room with two other quarterbacks in addition to Rudolph.
What do you think about Pittsburgh not being set on adding a veteran quarterback? Let us know in the comments below!
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