The Pittsburgh Steelers are somehow finding themselves in a quarterback dilemma worse than anyone thought possible. This team didn't have a quarterback under contract when the new league year began, but fans were hoping to see more than underwhelming veterans Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson tied to the team for the 2025 season.
Aaron Rodgers was the ultimate prize the team was (and still is) holding out for. But even if Rodgers emerges from his cave and decides to sign with the Steelers, the future Hall of Fame quarterback will turn 42 during the season, and Pittsburgh needs a long-term answer.
Daniel Jeremiah released the third version of his NFL mock draft on Tuesday, and the renowned draft expert has the Steelers rolling the dice on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
"The Steelers’ plan at quarterback is not completely clear at the moment," Jeremiah explained. "Even if they were to land 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, they would still need a long-term option at the position, so they take another swing here with Dart."
Dart has been a steady riser since the end of the college football season and is in the driver's seat to be the third quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should pass on Jaxson Dart and prepare for a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft
I'm at least intrigued by Jaxson Dart as a prospect the 21-year-old checks most of the boxes teams look for in a potential franchise quarterback. However, the process is entirely wrong.
Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback and, yes, it's easy to envision a scenario in which Dart is a better option than Mason Rudolph—even as early as his rookie season in 2025. But we are talking about making a franchise-altering decision... and this has to be handled with care.
Instead of repeating what they did in the 2022 draft and letting a quarterback fall to them, the Steelers either need to fork up for the QB they believe is the best of the class or wait until the 2026 NFL Draft where the talent pool should be stronger at the position. The last thing you want to do is lock yourself into an underwhelming quarterback. This is how you set your franchise back years.
Dart could be a franchise quarterback, but his tools, traits, and body of work suggest he should be a quarterback selected on Day 2 of the draft—not with a top-25 pick.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Jeremiah believes the Pittsburgh Steelers could throw their hat in the ring for a quarterback with the 21st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Let's hope they don't take leave of their senses so quickly and ignore all of the consequences that could follow a decision of this magnitude.
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