What Do The Steelers Do With The Draft Looming And Aaron Rodgers Putting Things On Pause?

So, Pittsburgh Steelers … what now?

That's the question I posed to a source within the organization on Friday morning following the revelations by Aaron Rodgers that he's simply not ready to commit to any team at this time and is seriously considering retirement as one of his options.

And this source, a thoughtful veteran of many NFL years, was freaking out and completely taken aback by the Rodgers interview on the Pat McAfee Show because everyone in Pittsburgh had Rodgers penciled in as the starter for 2025.

No Panic By The Steelers

No he wasn't.

Are the Steelers feeling a little uncomfortable? Yes.

Are they panicking? No.

The Steelers were not surprised by what Rodgers said relative to his plans. Rodgers has, as he said, shared his circumstances and explained why he hasn't committed to any club. And there is still apparently a "respectful but team-friendly" offer from the team to the player still on the table – as there has been for weeks.

So, again, what do the Steelers do going forward?

I got no specifics other than "handle our business." 

The Steelers are apparently moving forward with the draft next week – which is the next major landmark in the NFL offseason – as if they don't have Rodgers. Because they currently don't.

That means they could draft a quarterback. But if they do, it would not be done in any sort of desperation mode that some fans might expect.

A Trade Up For Shedeur Sanders Unlikely

If fans are expecting the club to panic and try to trade up in the draft for, say, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, then know this: Those scenarios will continue to be discussed internally but, barring a major departure from current thinking, that's not what general manager Omar Khan seems intent on doing.

And why not? The Steelers, after all, really, really, really need a quarterback.

Mason Rudolph is the only quarterback currently on the roster with any significant experience as an NFL starter and definitely the only one with any semblance of success doing it. He is currently the presumed starter for the coming season.

But the Steelers have nothing behind him other than developmental Skylar Thompson. 

They should be desperate. Well, there is some urgency, but not necessarily over the quarterback situation.

Steelers Want To Recover Second-Rounder

The Steelers are in a tough spot in the draft if finding a quarterback were the top priority. That's because they don't pick especially high (No. 21 overall) in the first round. They don't love the idea of trading up to overdraft a quarterback. 

And, here's the urgency part, they don't own a second-round pick.

It's perhaps creative license on my part based on what I'm hearing around the league, but the Steelers badly want to maneuver to try to recover a second-rounder in the draft, which they don't have because they traded theirs away in exchange for DK Metcalf.

Getting back a second-rounder is a major priority, even ahead of picking a quarterback in the first round. 

That suggests a trade-down scenario for them at No. 21. 

Some Options Beyond Aaron Rodgers

That doesn't mean the Steelers are not going to add a quarterback. He may come later in the first round or maybe late in the second if the club succeeds in recovering that second-rounder.

But the most likely way the Steelers are definitely going to be adding a quarterback this offseason is by signing another veteran.

That still could be Rodgers if and when he resolves his personal situation with his friends and family. Or it could be in free agency or a trade.

In free agency beyond Rodgers, the choices might include Carson Wentz or maybe Teddy Bridgewater. 

And in a trade, the most obvious big move would be Kirk Cousins – although that would be only if the team knows Rodgers is not coming.

Written by

Armando Salguero is a national award-winning columnist and is OutKick's Senior NFL Writer. He has covered the NFL since 1990 and is a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a voter for the Associated Press All-Pro Team and Awards. Salguero, selected a top 10 columnist by the APSE, has worked for the Miami Herald, Miami News, Palm Beach Post and ESPN as a national reporter. He has also hosted morning drive radio shows in South Florida.