The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in quarterback purgatory for weeks now as they await a decision from Aaron Rodgers as to where the quarterback will sign. All the while, it has been debated whether the Steelers will select a quarterback or not in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. Plenty of names have been thrown around, but without Rodgers' decision, nothing can be for sure. Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger recently gave his take on the matter and who the Steelers could potentially take come late April.
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Will Howard celebrates during the National Championship.
Roethlisberger spoke on his podcast Footbahlin on Tuesday about the prospect of the Steelers drafting a quarterback. Roethlisberger said that Pittsburgh could draft a quarterback in the third round, but that they shouldn't with the 21st overall pick.
Will Howard from the Ohio State Buckeyes and Tyler Shough from the Louisville Cardinals were the two main signal-callers named by Roethlisberger as reasonable options for the Steelers. Both are widely projected to be later-round grabs in the draft.
"I think it depends on how quarterbacks start going off the board," said Roethlisberger. "That's how it works. If quarterbacks don't go early, Cam Ward will go early, Shedeur Sanders will go early, at what point do they say, 'You know what? We're going to let these guys fall.'"
Roethlisberger also said that the Steelers would draft Jaxon Dart, the former quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels, if given the chance, but that it was unlikely he would fall to the third round. Dart is another quarterback whose name has been brought up regularly when discussing the Steelers. In order to land Dart, the Steelers would likely have to use their first-round pick.
Another prevalent name that has come up in many of the Steelers' conversations surrounding drafting a quarterback is Jalen Milroe, former quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide quarterback had a dinner meeting with the Steelers last month. While nothing is guaranteed, it shows that Pittsburgh is serious about Milroe as a prospect.
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Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe shakes hands with a Crimson Tide coach after a big time road win.
Roethlisberger later named Milroe as another potential third-round pick, and said he would be surprised if Milroe was gone sooner than that.
It's unclear where any of the aforementioned quarterbacks would land on the Pittsburgh depth chart, and it's unlikely to be known until Rodgers makes his decision. The Steelers have been rumored to be picking a quarterback regardless of Rodgers' future. However, should Rodgers sign with Pittsburgh, it's hard to imagine the 41-year-old veteran playing backup to a rookie.
Whether or not Rodgers signs with the Steelers could be the difference between an incoming rookie quarterback getting a chance to start and being a backup.
Steelers Need To Make Their First-Round Pick Count
Roethlisberger said that in the first round, the Steelers would likely draft a lineman, and that it would probably be a defensive lineman. Roethlisberger said that Cam Heyward is on the tail end of his career, and that if the Steelers could land his 10-to-12-year replacement in the first-round of the draft, it would be a no-brainer.
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Steelers' Cam Heyward gets ready to make a play during Week 14 against the Cleveland Browns.
As far as veteran quarterbacks go, Kirk Cousins was also mentioned in Roethlisberger's conversation. However, Roethlisberger said that considering the Steelers already had Mason Rudolph, it wouldn't make sense to bring in another veteran, and that it also wouldn't be worth the money.
If the Steelers were to sign Rodgers, it would be a short-term investment, with the veteran and Super Bowl champion likely not playing in Pittsburgh for more than a single season. If the Steelers were to draft a rookie, the young quarterback could have a chance to develop for longer before becoming the Steelers' starter. In the modern NFL, where quarterback development is almost dead, giving a rookie a mentor and starter like Rodgers could be the Steelers' best option.
Do you think the Steelers will draft a quarterback? Who do you think they will take? Let us know in the comments.
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