In late March or early April, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to have no clue what they were going to do at QB. But at least they weren’t alone in that—back then. Now, nearing the end of May, the Steelers have still not made any concrete moves. Meanwhile, the Giants signed two veterans and drafted a QB in the first round, while the Browns signed one veteran and drafted two QBs.
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The Steelers did draft a QB too, Ohio State’s National Champion signal caller Will Howard, but that was down in the sixth round. Not generally where you pick a guy if you’re expecting him to be a starter-caliber player. Alongside Howard in the Steelers locker room are journeyman Skylar Thompson and former Steelers draft pick Mason Rudolph.
As it stands, the depth chart makes for ugly reading. Rudolph as the starter, Howard as the backup, and Thompson as QB3. If you’re wondering why they have been so nonchalant about the position, you haven’t been paying attention. Pittsburgh remains optimistic that the indecisive Aaron Rodgers will choose to sign with them. For many, including Mike Florio, it smacks of desperation for the vaunted Black and Gold.
“I really wonder when the clock strikes 12 for the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers. They are in that position where they’re the guy who has the engagement ring out and he’s dropped to a knee and he’s holding it there. And he’s waiting, and he’s waiting, and he’s waiting. And he’s waiting, and his attitude is, ‘Take your team, I’ll wait, I’ll be here.'”
That embarrassing metaphor for the Steelers comes a day after the latest update on the saga. Steelers owner Art Rooney II said that the team wanted to wait “a little longer” to see what Rodgers’ decision would be. Head coach Mike Tomlin has said that the “line of demarcation” for him to join would be the start of training camp.
With training camp about two months away now, anxiety is surely starting to permeate the building. As Michael Holley pointed out, this strategy is very unlike the Steelers, who are usually one of the best-run clubs in the league.
“I have so much respect for the Steelers, that I’m just aghast that they’re doing this. I can’t believe how badly they’ve bungled their quarterback situation. We’re almost in June and they’re waiting on Aaron Rodgers to solve their 2025 quarterback problem. And we know they’re gonna have a 2026 quarterback problem no matter who it is.”
It’s clear that Mike Tomlin is trying to take charge here this offseason. He has apparently been at the forefront of the chase for Rodgers. And he was also pushing for the George Pickens trade. But it’s a bit of a confusing line of logic. Coach T wants to bring in a guy who could be a locker room cancer after trading away a guy he believed was a locker room cancer.
At this point, it seems plausible that the Steelers are fine going into the season with Mason Rudolph or Will Howard at the controls. If they do well, then great. If they don’t, then the Steelers will finally have a bad enough record to draft one of the top QB prospects for the first time since 2004.
