In a Thursday, April 17 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers openly discussed his free agency and stated that he is no closer to deciding whether to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Next week is the NFL draft, and according to oddsmakers, Pittsburgh is among the teams most likely to choose a signal caller. However, there is no assurance that either rookie will be prepared to start in Week 1 even if the Steelers are successful in acquiring Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart, who are regarded as the Nos. 2 and 3 quarterback prospects in the 2025 class, respectively.
Rodgers still has the upper hand in talks with Pittsburgh because the only other options on the roster right now are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. On Thursday, Zach Gelb of InfSportsNet and SiriusXMRadio urged the Steelers to sign a quarterback who eliminates the need for Rodgers in order to alter that power dynamic.
 “Until the Steelers bring in someone other than Mason Rudolph, Aaron Rodgers knows he has the Steelers in his back pocket,” Gelb said. Gelb suggested that Sanders could be that player, should he fall to the Steelers at No. 21 overall.
Gelb went on to say, though, that he does not think any of the other players in this class could make Rodgers an afterthought in Pittsburgh. Kirk Cousins, quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, is one player who could be able to do that. Although he has a no-trade clause and probably will not want to risk being replaced by a rookie draft pick, as was the case with him in Atlanta the previous season, Cousins could be traded as soon as the draft is over.
There are not many veteran options available to the Steelers outside of a Cousins trade. The two most experienced players who might replace Pittsburgh as one-year bridge starters in 2025 are Ryan Tannehill, who missed the entire 2024 season while waiting for a starting position to become available, and Carson Wentz, who was the backup quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs the previous season.
