Admit it: you were resigned to Aaron Rodgers. You fought it at first, angrily wondering outloud to anyone who'd listen about why the Steelers - who have desperately needed a franchise QB for about a decade now – would go and sign the exact opposite. You watched those two Jets seasons. You know that Rodgers is good for about four (4) good games and twice as many headaches. But without any other great – or even good – options out there in the free agent market, you apathetically resigned yourself to one pointless season with Rodgers under center.
RELATED: Steelers bring in giant addition to their defense in latest NFL mock draft
But reader, The Athletic heard your prayers. They heard you call out to them in your time of need, and they answered. In their latest mock draft, which dropped on Monday morning like the proper piece of capital-c content it is, The Athletic decided to throw Steelers fans a bone and whip up a scenario where they not only avoid Rodgers, but pull off one of the best draft heists since ... the Packers took Aaron Rodgers.
Steelers land Shedeur Sanders (!!) without trading up in The Athletic's new mock draft
"Even if Pittsburgh signs Aaron Rodgers, and even if Rodgers has some gas left in the tank we simply haven’t seen over the past three years, the Steelers have to devise a long-term plan for the most important position on the field. I cannot get there on Sanders as a top-10 pick, and I don’t think he’s ready to help fix a truly bad team. He’ll be a much better fit if he lands somewhere that can give him a supporting cast."
For now, let's ignore the part where they still predict Rodgers ends up in Pittsburgh; never let the details get in the way of a good story. Even if Sanders doesn't end up with the type of career that Rodgers did, getting a QB who's widely-considered the second-best (and sometimes considered the best) prospect in this year's draft, all the way down at 21, is an absolute coup. I had sorta assumed they'd have to trade up to have any shot at landing Sanders. The whole 'any player drafted or signed by Pittsburgh will develop perfectly' schtick hasn't totally panned out over the last few years, but it's hard not to love the idea of Sanders working alongside Mike Tomlin, DK Metcalf, and that defense.
I'm in. If anything besides this happens, I'll consider the Steelers' draft a total, complete failure. That seems reasonable, right?