We are a month away from the NFL Draft, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the few teams in the NFL that don't have any semblance of a plan at the quarterback position. After Russell Wilson inked a one-year deal with the New York Giants, Aaron Rodgers is the last respectable quarterback on the market, but whispers suggest the 41-year-old is considering retirement.
Now things are about to get real.
As the Steelers enter desperation mode, there's an increasing belief that they will target a quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft. Radio host and NFL analyst Colin Cowher said on his show The Herd that he's been told the 'Steelers really like Jalen Milroe' and could take him at pick 21.
"So I talked to an NFL exec last night, very well-connected, and this is a 'keep your head on a swivel', Aaron Rodgers," Cowherd said on FS1. "I'm told the Steelers really like Jalen Milroe. Twenty-first pick, first round. So if Aaron signs with Pittsburgh, it's gonna to become Kirk Cousins. They're taking a quarterback. "
This isn't what anyone wanted to hear, but Cowherd wasn't finished.
"I've been told, the Steelers, they're looking around at all these AFC quarterbacks, and Milroe is the most athletically gifted guy to come out of this draft at that position since Lamar Jackson," Cowherd continued. "And they feel, as an organization, they need special. They just don't stack up. They need special at quarterback."
Cowherd likened Milroe to a better version of the Indianapolis Colts 2023 first-round quarterback, Anthony Richardson, but Richardson's career has been a disaster so far. But Cowherd is convinced the Steelers will reach for Milroe if he's available with their first-round pick.
"And if, the 21st pick, if Milroe's not taken, Pittsburgh is leaning now and taking him. It is not a good draft... So Pittsburgh may get trapped a little like they did with Kenny Pickett."
Pittsburgh Steelers fans would lose all faith in the front office if Jalen Milroe is drafted in Round 1
Jalen Milroe has an impressive blend of physical traits, with a big arm and fantastic mobility. At some point in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Alabama quarterback is worth a gamble. But nobody believes that's a short worth taking in the middle of the first round.
The irony of this selection would be hard to stomach. The Pittsburgh Steelers had a 25-year-old Justin Fields last season who chipped in 10 total touchdowns compared to just one interception and led his team to a 4-2 record before getting benched ahead of Week 7 last season. As a prospect, Fields was undeniably a better player than Milroe.
It would be asinine of an organization that forced Fields to rot on the bench in 2024 to turn around and spend elite draft capital on a rawer version of the same quarterback in the NFL Draft. Milroe has a long way to go as a passer, and most believe he should be selected late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 of the draft.
In 2022, Kevin Colbert selected Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick in an effort to set the franchise up for success when he was gone. But taking an underwhelming quarterback in a bad QB class proved to be a decision that set the franchise back years.
This is a new front office, led by general manager Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl. If they end up repeating the mistakes of the past and reaching for a polarizing quarterback prospect in the NFL Draft, this will be a condemning move that will cause them to lose the trust of the fanbase quickly.