To avoid a dreaded ninth consecutive season without a playoff win, you can bet the Pittsburgh Steelers will do everything in their power to fix their quarterback situation in 2025. Looking for a long-term solution doesn't seem to be in the cards at this point, as owner Art Rooney II and head coach Mike Tomlin need answers now.
The combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields fell short in 2024, and running it back with one of these quarterbacks seems like a futile effort for a team desperate to improve. Unfortunately, the free agent options this year are limited. Unless the Steelers are willing to fork up a massive contract for a one-year wonder and journeyman like Sam Darnold, they are out of luck.
But trading for a quarterback could be an option.
While the Steelers don't often like to part with valuable draft capital, they know their Super Bowl window with T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward is closing quickly. Finding a short-term starter who can give Pittsburgh a shot a rekindling playoff success will be a top priority.
Most of these options won't technically be on the table for Pittsburgh, but some have already been rumored. I've taken the liberty of ranking the best possible quarterback trade options for the Steelers in 2025 based on talent and overall investment.
4. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
For those who have watched Derek Carr frequent the field over the past decade, this is an underwhelming option. Carr is entering his 12th NFL season and many consider him to be a game-managing quarterback, but you could do worse at QB.
Carr dealt with injuries in 2024 but went 5-5 this past season with a banged-up roster that lacked talent while throwing for 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions for a 101.0 passer rating. Interestingly, the veteran finished with the 7th-best grade at the position, according to Pro Football Focus (his 86.7 pass grade was 4th among all NFL QBs last year).
Carr won't be more exciting than what the Steelers had to work with in 2024, but he's more consistent and still a quality NFL starter who could lead Pittsburgh to a playoff berth.
3. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Financially, Geno Smith is the QB trade option who makes the most sense for his team to move on from. While most possible quarterback trades this offseason would be accompanied by the trading team taking on a sizeable dead money hit, the Seahawks would actually save $31 million by sending him packing this offseason.
This isn't out of the realm of possibility, as second-year head coach Mike McDonald may want to bring in his own quarterback (Smith was a Pete Carroll signing). Smith wasn't as impressive in 2024 as he was in the previous two seasons, but he still led his team to a 10-7 record while racking up 4,320 yards.
The veteran reclamation project has been one of the highest-volume passers in the NFL over the past three seasons while recording at least 20 passing touchdowns every year since 2022. He would be an upgrade over Russell Wilson (his former teammate in Seattle) and could come at a reasonable trade cost.
2. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Now we're starting to dream big. The unlikeliest trade candidate on this short list is Kyler Murry. The number one overall pick in 2019 is in the middle of his massive five-year, $230 million contract he signed during the 2022 offseason, and the Cardinals would be forced to eat over $58.5 million in dead money with a pre-June 1 trade.
However, The 33rd Team recently mentioned Murray as a surprise trade candidate this year, so here we are. Murray would be an electrifying option with a steep price tag.
At 27 years old, Murray is much younger than the other potential quarterback trade options and still has his best football in front of him. Unfortunately, this also means that his trade cost would be the greatest. The Steelers would likely be looking at giving up multiple first-round picks to bring Murray to Pittsburgh.
1. Matthew Stafford, LA Rams
Without a doubt, Matthew Stafford is the best combination for where the talent and price tag line up. Because of his age (37), the Steelers would likely have a two-year window to compete for a Super Bowl, but with Cam Heyward set to turn 36 this offseason and T.J. Watt turning 31 during the 2025 season, Pittsburgh's front office can't concern themselves with QB age.
Stafford, a former Super Bowl winner, is coming off an impressive season. In the playoffs, the veteran quarterback recorded over 500 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in two postseason games.
Stafford has the experience, poise, and toughness to be exactly what the Steelers are looking for. He just won't have the longevity. However, because he's in the final stages of his career, it shouldn't cost Pittsburgh more than a first-round pick to crack their Super Bowl window wide open for a few more seasons. This is the prize QB trade option if the Rams make him available this offseason.