-
Brooke Pryor
By disclosing that he would likely retire following the 2025 season throughout a Tuesday look on “The Pat McAfee Present,” Aaron Rodgers gave the Pittsburgh Steelers two items: readability and time.
Every are luxuries the Steelers lacked the final two occasions they had been led by an getting older, Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback.
“I performed 20 fricking years. It has been a future. I’ve loved it, and no higher place to complete than in one of many cornerstone franchises of the NFL with Mike Tomlin and an important group of management and nice guys within the metropolis that expects you to win,” Rodgers mentioned.
With Rodgers’ intentions acknowledged earlier than the season even begins, the Steelers have each alternative to make a strategic plan to safe the following franchise quarterback, one which’s eluded them since Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2021.
Not solely do the Steelers have greater than a 12 months to proceed their homework on a 2026 quarterback class that might embrace Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State’s Drew Allar and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, however they’re additionally well-positioned to maneuver up the draft board with a handful of compensatory picks from free agent departures. These elements might result in the Steelers choosing their subsequent franchise quarterback in entrance of a hometown crowd when Pittsburgh hosts the 2026 NFL draft in April.
They might additionally go one other route. Prime-tier quarterbacks do not usually hit free company, and 2026 is not an exception. Former first-round choose Daniel Jones, who signed a one-year deal in Indianapolis, is the most effective out there free agent of the 2026 class to date. Different quarterbacks, although, might come out there in releases or trades. Anthony Richardson Sr., Indianapolis’ different quarterback and their former first-round choose, is competing with Jones for the beginning job. Whoever is available in second might be out there.
Buying and selling for a beginning quarterback is rarer nowadays and costly, however not unattainable. Earlier this offseason, Seattle pulled off a shock commerce that despatched starter Geno Smith to Las Vegas. The Steelers might first take a look at former first-round picks who have not performed as much as their anticipated potential. Arizona’s Kyler Murray could have two years and a membership choice on his present contract after the 2025 season. His cap hits are vital — $53.2 million and $43.5 million — however they might be massaged and restructured. Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, who has one Professional Bowl berth since being drafted first total in 2021, signed a five-year, $275 million contract previous to the 2024 season, however he might be price an inquiry.
That is the perk of signing Rodgers — and of him saying his intentions previous to the season — the Steelers do not should scramble and may take the time to suppose strategically.
Pittsburgh did not have the identical form of luxurious of their transition from Roethlisberger.
Two years faraway from his season-ending elbow harm and ensuing surgical procedure, Roethlisberger agreed to a brand new, one-year contract previous to the 2021 season that diminished his wage and lowered his cap hit by greater than $15 million. In opting to restructure the ultimate 12 months of his deal quite than lengthen him past 2021, the Steelers seemingly signaled that the 2021 season can be Roethlisberger’s final. However the quarterback did not state that clearly till January 2022.
Earlier than that, although, he flirted with retirement a handful of occasions, together with after a 2016 AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots.
“I’ll take this offseason to judge, to contemplate all choices,” Roethlisberger, then 34, mentioned in January 2017.
Coach Mike Tomlin mentioned he took the retirement consideration “severely” on the time and that the crew would “plan accordingly.”
Roethlisberger, as an alternative, continued to play and signed an extension in 2019. Within the two years after first considering retirement, he threw for 4,251 yards with 28 touchdowns to 14 interceptions with a 12-3 report in 2017 and led the league in passing (5,129 yards), go makes an attempt (452) and completions (675) and yards per recreation (320.6).
He by no means received one other playoff recreation after the 2016 divisional win towards Kansas Metropolis, and the Steelers have not received a playoff recreation since his retirement.
As an getting older Roethlisberger waffled after which resolved to return, the Steelers drafted two quarterbacks in his last 5 seasons: Josh Dobbs with a 2017 fourth-round choose and Mason Rudolph within the third spherical a 12 months later. Roethlisberger, who advised the crew he supposed to return for the 2018 season previous to the draft, was fast to voice his frustration over the Rudolph choice.
“I used to be shocked once they took a quarterback as a result of I believed that perhaps within the third spherical, you may get some actually good soccer gamers that may assist this crew now,” Roethlisberger mentioned in a radio interview in 2018. “Nothing towards Mason. … I simply do not know the way backing up or being a 3rd [string] — properly, who is aware of the place he will fall on the depth chart — helps us win now.”
The Steelers did not draft a quarterback with any of their 24 picks over the following three drafts till choosing Kenny Pickett with the No. 21 total choose in 2022, months after Roethlisberger formally retired. Pickett, the primary quarterback taken off the board in a weak class, struggled in two seasons and was finally traded to the Philadelphia Eagles previous to the 2024 season.
Extra lately, their 2024 experiment with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields created uncertainty on the place and made charting a long-term plan tough. Wilson’s two-year tenure in Denver ended with a launch, and he signed a one-year, vet-minimum deal in Pittsburgh in an effort to jumpstart his profession. Shortly after that, the Steelers acquired Fields in a commerce with Chicago on an expiring rookie deal. The Steelers thought that they had their quarterback of the long run within the constructing. Both Wilson, who mentioned he felt like he discovered the fountain of youth upon signing in Pittsburgh, would play nearer to his Tremendous Bowl-winning kind, or Fields would emerge as the long run.
Neither occurred.
Wilson, sidelined early on by a calf harm, began off scorching, however he and the crew fell aside with an 0-5 shedding streak to finish the season. Fields went 4-2 in six begins however was changed as soon as Wilson was wholesome. The crew’s high precedence, normal supervisor Omar Khan mentioned previous to free company, was signing both Wilson or Fields. However in response to league sources, the crew did not actively pursue signing Wilson, making their high precedence Fields.
Fields, although, opted to signal a two-year, $40 million take care of the Jets. Past high total choose Cam Ward, the 2025 quarterback draft class was unheralded, and the market of free agent and tradeable quarterbacks was comparatively desolate.
As soon as once more, the Steelers had been within the lurch as a byproduct of a scenario they created. Rodgers, prepared to play at a cut price worth and out there with out spending essential draft capital, was the crew’s most suitable choice. And by expressing his intent to retire earlier than he even steps on the sector for coaching camp, he turned much more invaluable — even when the season ends with out a playoff win or snaps Tomlin’s streak of non-losing seasons — as a result of he permits them to thoughtfully put together for the long run.
