**What if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t sign with the Steelers?**
The Steelers seem confident Aaron Rodgers will sign, but what happens if he doesn’t, and instead retires or signs elsewhere? From all we’ve learned, it seems the Steelers would intend to start Mason Rudolph. But else would it mean for them if Rodgers doesn’t sign with them for this season?
Although, perhaps we shouldn’t move so fast. How confident ought we to be that the Steelers would start Mason Rudolph if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t sign? Their veteran options are now limited, but there are avenues they can explore, including a trade. They have said they are comfortable with Rudolph multiple times in the past, after all.
If it is true that Mike Tomlin is steering the Aaron Rodgers conversation, would his failure to sign affect how the Steelers as an organization perceive him? Obviously, it would be worse if he were to sign with another team rather than retire. But more to the point, they had other options that they passed over, hoping for Rodgers to sign. I’m sure there are some in the building who still wish they just signed Justin Fields, and it was Tomlin who sat him down in favor of Russell Wilson.
Barring a significant trade, though, it’s hard to see the Steelers starting anybody but Rudolph if Rodgers doesn’t sign. The only other real option would be if Will Howard somehow looks remarkable throughout the offseason, and calling that a real option is probably a stretch and a half. He isn’t likely to even see enough snaps to have the opportunity to look remarkable.
But at the end of the day, it’s about wins and losses. How many games would Aaron Rodgers win the Steelers versus Rudolph or other alternatives? Many would argue that he isn’t worth much, based on how the Jets performed last season.
Is Aaron Rodgers only a marginal improvement at quarterback for the Steelers, assuming he is indeed an improvement? I would guess that if you polled 1,000 Steelers fans, a fair number of them would rather them play Rudolph. Given the option between the two, we know the Steelers wouldn’t choose that. But what if they don’t have the choice? If Rodgers is no longer an option, what does that mean for the Steelers’ season?
_The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein._
_Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is_ [_the quarterback question_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/04/schrager-thinks-steelers-passing-on-qb-in-1st-round-means-theyre-all-in-on-aaron-rodgers/)_. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The_ [_2025 NFL Draft class_](https://www.steelers.com/draft/) _is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete._
_But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. Certain will-he-or-won’t-he situations remain in play, which we continue to monitor. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go._