The Pittsburgh Steelers are desperate for answers at the quarterback position. The front office inked a deal with Mason Rudolph in free agency, but the veteran quarterback went 1-4 as a starter last season while throwing nine touchdowns with as many interceptions. Pittsburgh's hopes rest on 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, but the QB outlook is grim.
Now it just went from bad to worse.
With whispers that Rodgers could retire if he doesn't sign with the Minnesota Vikings, the Steelers are exploring every possible avenue to upgrade their quarterback room. That includes an underwhelming 40-year-old that fans know all too well.
Sports Illustrated's NFL Insider Albert Breer released his latest column where he shared the inside scoop about Rogers and why NFL executives are mixed on the aging QB. He also noted that the Steelers are one of four teams that 'have checked' in on Joe Flacco this offseason.
"Joe Flacco visited the Giants last week—which was a way, I think, for the team to check him out, and for Flacco to get his name back in circulation," Breer wrote. "Yes, he’s 40. But as a one-year solution, at a way cheaper rate than Cousins or Rodgers, I think the guy can still play. And the Browns, Steelers and Vikings think enough of him still to have checked on him."
Like the famous GIF of Robin Williams in Jumanji, I would ask: "What year is it?"
The Pittsburgh Steelers could round out their quarterback room with free agent Joe Flacco
If you want a sneak peek into the future of the most boring starting quarterback battle of 2025, this is what the Pittsburgh Steelers would look like if they signed Joe Flacco in free agency. While the long-time QB showed he's still a capable player in a pinch, you couldn't build a quarterback room duller than Flacco, Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thompson.
Suffering through 17 games of statuesque, risk-averse quarterbacks is the last thing Steelers fans want to endure—especially after three straight years of patchwork jobs and failed experiments at the position since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement.
It's not like Flacco doesn't deserve to be a backup quarterback somewhere. He does. But if you want to suck the life out of the position and leave fans void of hope for the 2025 season, this is how you do it. Though Flacco still has enough arm strength to get the ball down the field, he's not a player you want to count on in a full-time role. Flacco hasn't been a full-time starter in seven years.
We all know that neither Flacco nor Rudolph would be anything more than a stop-gap option for this team. With either quarterback at the helm, we would likely be looking at a nine-win season from this team in 2025 and a ninth straight season without a playoff win.
If the Pittsburgh Steelers' goal is to lull fans to sleep by assembling the most boring quarterback room of all time, they're on the right track.