With the 2025 NFL Draft officially less than a week away, two names are routinely being mentioned alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aaron Rodgers, and Shedeur Sanders. Currently without a quarterback and in possession of the 21st overall pick, the Steelers stand as one of the last premier destinations for a signal caller with starting ambitions.
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While a Rodgers signing or a Sanders selection would set the franchise on two very different paths, the need for a competent QB is all the same. As the draft stock of Sanders continues to fall, some have started to suggest that the Steelers could be in a position to land both.
However, longstanding analyst and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith suggests that a Rodgers-based education could be the worst thing possible for a rookie QB. During the latest episode of the network’s flagship program, First Take, Smith suggested that the instability of Rodgers could prove to be a detriment to Sanders’ development.
“Nobody is questioning the credentials, the acumen, the cerebral brilliance of an Aaron Rodgers. You’re questioning the willingness. The willingness to teach, the willingness to prep somebody for a career that he has enjoyed for the better part of the last two decades… When you are acknowledging and admitting you’ve got personal issues… That’s not somebody I want my young quarterback exposed to,” he explained.
Smith’s guest analyst and former NFL executive, Mike Tannenbaum, though, wasn’t on board with Smith’s analysis. In citing the successful relationship that Rodgers had with his last mentor, Jordan Love, the former executive vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins explained that,
“I think Rodgers knows that part of his legacy will be what he can teach and be a role model to Shedeur, and that will last long after his playing days… There’s so many ways, behind the curtains, that Rodgers either directly or even indirectly, how he composes himself, Shedeur can learn a lot for hopefully the next couple of decades.”
The draft stock of Sanders has certainly taken a hit, but he is in no way guaranteed to be available by the time Pittsburgh is on the clock come April 24th.
Recent developments surrounding Derek Carr have seen the New Orleans Saints be increasingly tied to the former Buffalo, suggesting that he’s unlikely to fall all the way down to the 21st spot.
Furthermore, Rodgers has made it clear that he’s more than comfortable with retiring should he not find an adequate deal. During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the former Green Bay Packer famously stated that “I’m open to anything and attached to nothing” when asked about his current negotiations.
The future status of Rodgers’ career is just as ambiguous as it was at the beginning of the offseason following his release from the New York Jets. Given the sluggish pace of his ongoing talks with the Steelers, it’s increasingly likely that a deal won’t be reached until the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, if at all.
