The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a quandary of epic proportions. Our two starting quarterbacks from 2024, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, are no longer with us. Pittsburgh signed Mason Rudolph to a two-year deal that would suggest a renewed faith in our former 2018 third-round pick.
To be clear, Rudolph did not set the world on fire, so to speak, during his first go around with the Steelers, amassing eight wins in thirteen starts over a four-year time frame; however, I would argue that he was solid. I would further argue that he was solid enough that we probably should have re-signed him the first time around, but that's neither here nor there now.
What is here and there now is this: With the myriad reports circulating that we are one of the favorites to land the services of Aaron Rodgers, I don't think that would preclude us from drafting a quarterback in the later rounds. Conversely, if we sign Rodgers and have Rudolph as an insurance policy, that would afford us the opportunity to draft a defensive player in the first round.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to understand the potential future benefits of having a one down season
This may sound harsh, but I believe it's the truth. Since Mike Tomlin has been the head coach, the Steelers have been good enough to never have a losing record, which is a phenomenal accomplishment; however, we have simply not been good enough to get to the promised land, as it were. Once the 2025 season commences, it will be fifteen seasons since we played in a Super Bowl.
Having grown up in the 1970s, playing in and winning Super Bowls was something fans came to expect. Had it not been for injuries to key players in 1976, we probably would have made and won Super Bowl XI, which would have translated to three consecutive Super Bowl victories.
The current iteration of the Steelers is simply not good enough to be in the Super Bowl conversation year in and year out. So what can we do to be in said conversation? I believe the answer is rather simple, but it may prove to be elusive.
Let's revisit the Rodgers situation for a minute. If Rodgers signs elsewhere, we may fall into the trap of thinking we need to draft a quarterback in the first round. Since we have no second-round pick courtesy of what I would label as a suspect trade for DK Metcalf, there would be no room for error if we draft a quarterback in the first round.
If that scenario plays out, that quarterback had better be the next incarnation of Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger. In other words, that quarterback had better be a perennial Pro Bowl and All-Pro player. Let's get back to the question I posed earlier about what we need to do to be in the yearly Super Bowl conversation.
As I stated, the answer is simple. Regardless of whether or not we sign Rodgers, we should draft a non-quarterback and roll with whatever the outcome will be in 2025. If that means that the Steelers will have taken a step back in 2025, so be it, and, frankly, that may be the best option.
By taking a step back, that inherently means we will garner a higher draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft than we currently have in 2025. I don't see how that could be a bad thing. We built a dynasty in the 1970s by not only drafting well, which has not always been the case under Tomlin, but having a top fifteen pick from 1969 to 1972. By 1973 and, more importantly, 1974, the building blocks were in place for said dynasty.
Admittedly, there's nothing to say that we would not choose poorly if we had a top-ten pick, for example, but I suspect that would not be the case. What I suspect would transpire is that we select the next franchise quarterback, and all would be right in the football world.
Suffice it to say that we could continue this discussion in perpetuity, but we can not. We will not have to wait too much longer to find out if the Steelers will choose wisely in the 2025 draft. If we don't, it may be a long and disheartening season.