After a 10-7 season and another first-round playoff exit, the Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck in the same vicious cycle that many teams without franchise quarterbacks find themselves in. Though, Mike Tomlin’s inability to produce a losing record adds a particularly nasty wrinkle to this version of NFL purgatory.
Without a franchise QB, the Steelers aren’t good enough to win a Super Bowl, not by a longshot, and with Tomlin, they’re far too good to ever be in striking distance of adding one. Kenny Pickett, who kneeled out Super Bowl LIX for the Eagles on Sunday night as Jalen Hurts’s backup, wasn’t the answer, and seemingly neither were Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. And both are heading into free agency.
So now, as Pittsburgh embarks on another quest to find a starting QB this offseason, it could lead them to another former Super Bowl Champion, though one even older than Wilson – Aaron Rodgers.
On Sunday, after two failed seasons in New York, the Jets reportedly informed Rodgers that he would not be returning for 2025 and would become a free agent this March. Almost immediately, Pittsburgh became the favorite to land the future Hall of Famer four-time MVP as he heads into his age 42 season.
While the Jets went 5-12 with Rodgers at the helm last season, the 41-year-old threw 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions coming off an Achilles tear and nearly reached 4,000 yards through the air. With much of the media connecting the dots between Rodgers and the Steelers, Mike Luciano of the Jet Press joined the Still Curtain podcast on Monday to break down what he saw from Rodgers last season and what he thinks his future could hold if he lands with Tomlin.
It's likely in the Steelers best interest to tear the roster down and rebuild, but if Tomlin and Omar Khan insist on staying competitive, Rodgers might be the best option to go for a playoff win in 2025.