The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2025 NFL Draft with many wondering if they’d take a quarterback early following Aaron Rodgers‘ announcement that a decision wasn’t imminent on his future. With the NFL Draft drawing to a close, Pittsburgh seems to be sticking to its quarterback plan for the 2025 season.
During an appearance on Steelers Nation Radio, team owner Art Rooney II addressed where things are with Rodgers and explained that any quarterback Pittsburgh took in the 2025 NFL Draft would be a backup this fall.
“We’re still kind of getting the same signals that we’ve been getting recently. He does want to come here so I do think we may get word soon.”
Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II on where things stand with Aaron Rodgers (H/T Brooke Pryor)
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- Aaron Rodgers stats (ESPN): 3,897 passing yards, 28-11 TD-INT, 63% completion rate, 6.7 ypa, 90.5 QB rating, 40 sacks taken
Not only did Pittsburgh not take a quarterback with the 21st overall pick, but it also passed on taking Shedeur Sanders on Day 2. Instead, the team used its third-round pick on running back Kaleb Johnson and then used its top picks from Day 3 to improve the defensive line.
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Even with Rodgers taking his time, leaving the door open to retirement, Pittsburgh seems very willing to be patient. With the Minnesota Vikings trading for Sam Howell on Saturday, there’s also now just one team realistically left with interest in Rodgers.
If the 41-year-old quarterback retires, Mason Rudolph is poised to be the Steelers’ starter in 2025. Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh this offseason after a one-season stint with the Tennessee Titans. In 13 career games as a starter with Pittsburgh, he posted a 19-11 TD-INT ratio with an 86.9 QB rating, 63.5 percent completion rate and an 8-4-1 record.
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