If we had asked one hundred fans to predict the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback room after the first week of free agency, nobody would have anticipated that Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson would be the only two QBs under contract. Aaron Rodgers is the hope Pittsburgh is hanging onto. But outside of Rodgers, there's a major quarterback talent shortage in free agency.
It doesn't look like the Steelers are interested in turning back to Russell Wilson—which isn't a surprise considering how things ended in 2024—and the options still on the market are no better than Rudolph. Pittsburgh has no interest in going with a high-variance player like Trey Lance or Jameis Winston, while the safe, 'system' options like Cooper Rush or Taylor Heinicke are older and have even less to work with than Rudolph.
As the Steelers anxiously await a decision from Aaron Rodgers, the front office ponders every possible avenue to explore the position.
One such avenue is the 2025 NFL Draft. With a soon-to-be 30-year-year-old Rudolph as the only somewhat respectable stop-gap option, selecting a quarterback in the draft this April feels likely. But the last thing Steelers fans want this team to do is to hit the panic button.
The 2025 draft class has been praised for its strength at positions like running back and interior defensive line. However, one thing it's not going to be known for is its quarterback class. Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jaxson Dart each have their flaws and may prove to be over-drafted because of the importance of the position.
The Steelers can't let history repeat itself in the 2025 draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must avoid a dreaded quarterback trap in the 2025 NFL Draft
It wouldn't be hard for General Manager Omar Khan and the front office to look at their bottom-dwelling quarterback room and feel the need to take a signal-caller early in the 2025 NFL Draft. After all, any quarterback they could select in Round 1 would likely be a better option than Rudolph in 2025.
But that's a low bar, and the Steelers need to think beyond the 2025 season.
We saw a similar situation play out in the 2022 NFL Draft when panic set in. Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were left with a lackluster combination of Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
Because they weren't proactive in their QB search, former GM Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin locked themselves into a quarterback at pick 20 in a dismal QB class—selecting Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. Colbert and Tomlin ignored Pickett's red flags and were numb to his lack of upside because they had a desperate need at the position.
While I like the 2025 quarterback class better than the 2022 class, the philosophy is still backward. Yes, you have to keep taking swings at quarterback until you find a franchise guy who can lead your team, but betting on traits, tools, and upside is important as well.
If the Steelers simply take whichever quarterback falls to them at pick 21 in the 2025 draft, they would be playing straight into the trap they fell victim to in the 2022 draft when they selected Pickett. History has shown us that most of the franchise quarterbacks playing today were selected early in the first round. Rarely do you find one by standing pat in the 20s in letting the chips fall.
The Steelers will have a choice to make in Round 1: do they hit the panic button and take a quarterback simply because they have a glaring need, or do they practice patience and wait until 2026 when we could see a better QB class? Let's hope they make the right decision this time.