It’s been more than two weeks since the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. Players have gone through rookie minicamp and rosters are largely set ahead of OTAs, minicamp and training camp around the NFL.
And yet, Pro Football Focus still can’t understand why the Pittsburgh Steelers came out of the NFL Draft without selecting a quarterback during the first two days in Green Bay, especially as they continue to wait for official word from veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
PFF’s Jonathon Macri highlighted the Steelers not selecting a QB in the first two days of the draft as one of his biggest surprises post-draft, writing about it Monday morning for PFF.com.
“Whether the signing of Aaron Rodgers was going to be made official or the Steelers selected a quarterback within the first three rounds, there was a real possibility that the team would come out of the 2025 NFL Draft with a much clearer picture of their Week 1 starter,” Macri writes regarding the Steelers’ decision making at quarterback in the draft. “But with Rodgers still floating around in free agency and the team not spending a pick on a quarterback (Will Howard) until the sixth round, questions about the team’s plan surprisingly remain unanswered multiple weeks removed from the 2025 NFL Draft.”
Macri has a point that the plan in 2025 still remains a bit unclear for the Steelers at quarterback. Rodgers is believed to be coming to the Steelers, but until that is official, nothing can be assumed with Rodgers. But one thing is clear with the Steelers and the decision at QB in the draft: They weren’t sold on any of the big names at the position in the 2025 class.
Instead, they are seemingly loading up for the 2026 NFL Draft class, which many believe will be much better at QB than the class that was just drafted. If that’s the case, the Steelers will have plenty of draft capital to trade up, if need be.
But they still have a season to get through in 2025, which Macri is worried about.
“As things stand, Mason Rudolph is the team’s projected starter. For head coach Mike Tomlin, who has made the playoffs in 12 of his 18 years at the helm, that doesn’t bode well,” Macri said of the Steelers’ plan at QB. “Rudolph owns a career 61.7 PFF passing grade, which ranks 51st among 66 qualifying quarterbacks with at least 500 dropbacks since 2019. Pittsburgh also recently traded starting wide receiver George Pickens without having a clear second option in the passing game to support the team’s starting at quarterback in 2025.
“…It wouldn’t be a surprise, based on the current offense, if the Steelers finished in the bottom half of the league this season.”
Last week, PFF highlighted the Steelers’ offense as one of the “least improved” units in the NFL. That came after the trade of wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, so there are some concerns.
A young offensive line needs to be better with more experience, DK Metcalf has to deliver on his No. 1 WR salary, TE Pat Freiermuth has to take a step forward, and rookie running back Kaleb Johnson needs to be the true No. 1 RB that the Steelers envision him being. Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell need to also be play-makers in change-of-pace roles.
If Rodgers signs, that will elevate the Steelers’ offense. But right now, nothing can truly be assumed.
One thing is clear though: The Steelers didn’t draft a QB on the first two days of the draft because they didn’t deem one worthy enough of being a future franchise QB, like Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders, Tyler Shough or Jalen Milroe — names they were connected to in the pre-draft process.
Instead, they drafted Will Howard out of Ohio State, who projects as a good fit in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme and doesn’t negate them from drafting a quarterback early in 2026. The plan might not be clear from the outside to national media members, but how GM Omar Khan has gone about this offseason makes some sense when looking to 2026’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
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