Aaron Rodgers may want to decide in the next few weeks whether he’s returning to the Steelers or that Pittsburgh quarterback room may become a little crowed.
It’s a “very real possibility” the Steelers target a quarterback in the draft as a contingency plan in case Rodgers delays his decision or ultimately does not stick with the team, according to ESPN.
“I think it’s a very real possibility that they could draft a quarterback, maybe not in the first round,” Brooke Pryor said on “NFL Live” Friday. “They have other needs to address, but a later-round guy.”
It appears that Rodgers will either be playing for the Steelers in 2026 or call it quits after 21 seasons that will land him in the Hall of Fame, but that doesn’t mean Pittsburgh can just afford to wait.
Pittsburgh executives are expecting a decision before the draft commences April 23, but those timelines aren’t always adhered to in these situations.
One potential veteran option went off the board recently when Kirk Cousins opted to head to the Raiders, leaving Pittsburgh with few quality options at quarterback should Rodgers move on.
The 42-year-old Rodgers is not a long-term solution, and should he retire, the team would be left with just 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and journeyman backup Mason Rudolph.
New Pittsburgh coach Mike McCarthy is a fan of Howard’s, but a sixth-round pick who did not appear in a game last year does not inspire confidence for a franchise usually in contention.
“Mike McCarthy has been so incredibly high on what he likes out of the sixth-round pick,” Pryor said.
“He even said this week, look, if it was up to him, if he was drafting last year, Will Howard would not have been on the board there.”
The Steelers own the 21st pick in the NFL draft and some have wondered if they could draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson — should he be available — even if Rodgers decides by then.
If Pittsburgh waits, second- or third-day options include Miami’s Carson Beck, Penn State’s Drew Allar and LSU’s Garreett Nussmeier.
None of those options would provide the short-term upside of Rodgers, whom McCarthy communicates with regularly and said to “really engage” while he contemplates his future.
“I would just say he’s in a very positive space,” McCarthy said, per ESPN. “We’ll just continue to engage in conversations.”